Whether it's floods, wildfires or droughts, the world is experiencing extreme weather more often than ever. The record-breaking temperatures and floods this year, as well as the COP26 conference, have caught the attention of leaders and more governments are now looking more closely at defences as well as prevention measures.

A range of factors influence our global complex climate patterns, including El Niño and La Niña. Any Spanish speakers will know they roughly translate to "The Boy" and "The Girl," but who, or what, are they and how do we know when they're responsible for causing weather-related chaos? The Agenda's Stephen Cole explains.

FIND MORE STORIES FROM THE AGENDA WITH STEPHEN COLE  HERE