El Niño has officially begun. Here's what that means for the U.S.
![Early morning hikers rest before walking down Piestewa Peak, a city park in Phoenix, Ariz. El Niño drives even hotter, drier weather in the Southwest United States, on top of growing heat risk from human-caused climate change.](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2023/06/08/0b6a4943_wide-10941e0c38fee4350ded8bfe340035a03cd2646f.jpg?s=600)
The natural climate pattern known as El Niño has officially begun. It exacerbates human-caused climate change, driving even hotter temperatures and other dangerous weather.
(Image credit: Ryan Kellman/NPR)
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