El Niño weather is leading to droughts and power cuts in South America

The San Rafael reservoir on the outskirts of Bogotá, Colombia, has been drying up since a long spell of dry weather began in November and is currently just 16% full. Officials in the Colombian capital started to ration water in April to help local reservoirs recover. (Manuel Rueda for NPR)

BOGOTÁ, Colombia — Steven Ramos runs a coffee shop outside Externado University in Bogotá.

But last week there was no running water in his neighborhood, so Ramos couldn't use his espresso machine.