Rare Rain Hits the World's Driest Desert

The Atacama Desert is getting a surprise soaking thanks to El Niño weather patterns.

The Atacama Desert is known as the driest place on Earth. It is usually just dirt and sand. But things are changing right now. A weather event called El Niño is bringing rain to the desert. El Niño is a pattern where the ocean gets warmer than usual. This change in the water temperature messes with the weather all over the world. In this desert, it almost never rains. When it does, the whole landscape changes. The water wakes up seeds that have been sleeping in the dry ground for a very long time. Experts are watching closely to see how this extra water affects the plants and animals that …