According to Live Science, NASA satellites have spotted a wave of warm water hundreds of miles long—a sign that this year's El Niño is shaping up to be among the strongest on record. For those unfamiliar, El Niño is a periodic warming of the eastern Pacific that disrupts global weather, triggering droughts, floods, and altered storm patterns. The impacts ripple worldwide: agriculture, water supplies, and economies all feel the effects. Scientists are already bracing for what could be a challenging weather year ahead.

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