El Nino

El Nino is not a storm but rather a weather phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean. During an El Nino, the surface water temperature warms up, leading to complex weather patterns. South American fishermen in the 19th century describing warmer waters during Christmas time, coined the name El Nino, Spanish for the Blessed child. Nowadays, when sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean rise point 5 degrees Celsius over their historic average for three consecutive months, and once atmospheric conditions and rainfall patterns shift accordingly, scientists officially declare an El Nino. An El Nino event takes place about every two to seven years. Normal east to west trade winds over the Pacific weaken and warm water that normally travels westward is now moving toward the east. Moisture then rises into the air and the effects of El Nino are felt throughout the Americas. In the ocean, warm water pushes colder water downward, blocking the important upwelling of nutrient-rich waters from the bottom. This causes some marine life to migrate to colder waters. Animals that normally feed on the sea life suffer, and Fisheries throughout Central and South America suffer, too.