A climate pattern characterized by the warming of sea surface temperatures in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, typically occurring every 2-7 years. El Niño events disrupt global weather patterns, causing droughts, floods, and other extreme weather.
Spanish for 'the little boy' or 'the Christ child', named by Peruvian fishermen who noticed the phenomenon often peaked around Christmas. The term entered scientific literature in the 1960s as researchers began understanding this Pacific climate oscillation.
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