![]() The entire natural climate cycle is officially known as El Niño – Southern Oscillation, called ENSO by scientists. El Niño originally was recognized by fishermen off the coast of South America in the 1600s with the appearance of unusually warm water in the Pacific Ocean around Christmas. Its name means the Little Boy, or Christ Child in Spanish. What is El Niño?Įl Niño is a natural climate pattern in which surface sea water temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean are warmer than average. Chances for a strong El Niño are about 55%. ![]() The most recent ocean temperature in the El Niño region, the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, was just 0.1 degrees Celsius from the threshold needed to declare an El Niño, Nat Johnson, with NOAA’S Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, wrote in a blog post published Thursday.īut while the ocean appears ready, Johnson said, the tropical atmosphere remains in more neutral territory in the atmospheric indexes the scientists watch. But the signs are getting stronger, giving scientists growing confidence in an El Niño declaration by July, Johnson said. Ocean temperatures shockingly hot: Scientists aren’t sure what happens next.Ĭlimate change: See USA TODAY's latest stories here It's counterpart, La Niña, ended over the winter after three years of disastrous weather. Given things already are warmer than normal, they say, a strong El Niño could send global average temperatures soaring to a record high.Įl Niño is a natural climate pattern. That could have dramatic consequences in the United States and around the globe this year and into next year.Ĭlimate scientists are especially concerned about the potential for hotter temperatures. The world’s most influential natural weather feature is shifting gears.Īn El Niño is building along the equator in the eastern Pacific Ocean, and chances are above normal it will be a strong El Niño, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says.
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