In the Pacific Ocean, near the equator, a weather pattern periodically manages rainfall, droughts, floods, and storms across the planet. This meteorological phenomenon, whose full name is El Niño-Southern Oscillation (Enos), arises from warming ocean waters and often punishes Earth’s climate.
“Enos alters the patterns of atmospheric circulation and causes extreme events around the world. From flooding in India or Australia to flooding off the west coast of South America,” explains Bin Bin Wang, head of the University of Hawaii’s Meteorologist Department (USA) in an interview with BBC News World (BBC Spanish service).
But according to the expert, this atmospheric oscillation has shown in its last 40 years its most tragic side: the so-called “Super El Niño”, a more intense version of the phenomenon with even more devastating consequences. “Super El Niño is an extreme form of Enos, where intensity can cause Pacific waters to rise to 3 or 4 degrees Celsius over normal ocean temperatures,” Bin said.