No Hurricanes Yet as El Niño Keeps Atlantic Quiet
Listen to the story
The Atlantic hurricane season is now at its busiest time of year. But this year is different. No hurricanes have formed yet.
Experts say the reason is El Niño. El Niño is a natural weather pattern. It happens in the Pacific Ocean. It can change weather all over the world.
This year's El Niño is very strong. People call it 'historic'. That means it is one of the biggest in history.
El Niño can stop hurricanes from forming in the Atlantic. This is why the ocean has been so quiet.
Usually, this time of year has many storms. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November. The busiest month is normally September.
Scientists are watching the weather closely. They want to know if any hurricanes will form before the season ends.
Vocabulary15 words
- Atlantic
- a big ocean between America and Europe
- hurricanes
- very strong, dangerous storms with fast wind
- El Niño
- a weather pattern that changes temperatures in the ocean
- history
- things that happened a long time ago
- pattern
- something that happens again and again in the same way
- Pacific Ocean
- the biggest ocean in the world
- storms
- bad weather with strong wind and rain
- season
- a certain time of the year
- form
- to start to exist
- climate
- the usual weather in a place
- temperature
- how hot or cold something is
- natural
- made by nature, not by people
- quiet
- with little activity or noise
- record
- the best or most unusual result ever
- peak
- the highest or busiest point
Quiz
Answer key
1. No hurricanes have formed 2. A strong El Niño 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
The Atlantic hurricane season is now at its _____ time of year.
But this year is different. No _____ have formed yet.
Experts say the reason is _____.
El Niño is a natural weather _____.
It happens in the _____ Ocean.
This year's El Niño is very _____.
People call it '_____.'
El Niño can stop hurricanes from forming in the _____.
Usually, this time of year has many _____.
The busiest month is normally _____.
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