1. What is the El Niño phenomenon and what does it get its name from?

The El Niño phenomenon, scientifically known as ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation), is a phenomenon that originates from the fluctuation of temperatures in the central and eastern part of the equatorial Pacific Ocean, associated with changes in the atmosphere. The phenomenon appears from time to time (there is no systematic pattern), but when it occurs it has a great impact on climatic conditions in various parts of the world.

This alteration of the ocean-atmospheric system in the tropical Pacific has important consequences on the climate around the planet, but especially on the east coast of South America, with more effects “Thanks to the scientific progress achieved in terms of understanding and modeling ENSO , prediction skills have improved on time scales from one to nine months in advance, helping society prepare for hazards associated with that phenomenon, such as heavy rains, floods and droughts”. World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

As for the name El Niño, this is due to the association of the phenomenon with the so-called El Niño current, an anomaly known to the fishermen of the port of Paita, in northern Peru, who observed that the waters increased in temperature during the Christmas times and associated it with the arrival of the Baby Jesus.