El Niño

[ el neen-yoh; Spanish el nee-nyaw ]

noun

1. a warm ocean current of variable intensity that develops after late December along the coast of Ecuador and Peru and sometimes causes catastrophic weather conditions.

El Niño

/ ɛl ˈniːnjəʊ /

noun

1. meteorol a warming of the eastern tropical Pacific occurring every few years, which alters the weather pattern of the tropics

El Niño

/ ĕlnēn′yō /

1. A warming of the surface water of the eastern and central Pacific Ocean, occurring every 4 to 12 years and causing unusual global weather patterns. An El Niño is said to occur when the trade winds that usually push warm surface water westward weaken, allowing the warm water to pool as far eastward as the western coast of South America. When this happens, the typical pattern of coastal upwelling that carries nutrients from the cold depths to the ocean surface is disrupted, and fish and plankton die off in large numbers. El Niño warming is associated with the atmospheric phenomenon known as the southern oscillation , and their combined effect brings heavy rain to western South American and drought to eastern Australia and Indonesia. El Niño also affects the weather in the United States, but not as predictably.
2. Compare La Niña

El Niño

1. A warming of the surface water of the eastern and central Pacific Ocean , occurring every four to twelve years when cold water does not rise to the surface, causing unusual weather patterns. The warmer water kills fish and plankton, brings heavy rains to western South America , and causes drought in eastern Australia and Indonesia .

Word History and Origins

Origin of El Niño¹

< Spanish: literally, the child, i.e., the Christ child, alluding to the appearance of the current near Christmas

Word History and Origins

Origin of El Niño¹

C20: from Spanish: The Child, i.e. Christ, referring to its original occurrence at Christmas time

Example Sentences

The period studied overlapped with fluctuations in the climate that may have played a significant role in the acceleration, including a strong El Niño event from 2014 to 2016, which led to unusually warm waters.

From Washington Post

The El Niño phase was waning at the start of 2020, and a La Niña was starting, so the overall impact of this pattern was muted for the year.

From Science News

The year 2016 was marked by a particularly strong El Niño event, a weather pattern that generally contributes to warmer temperatures.

From Time

Museum specimens also provided evidence that the virus had been circulating in Southwestern rodent populations for over a decade, and its emergence in humans was linked to El Niño climate cycles.

From Popular-Science

Both of these interact with the El Niño–Southern Oscillation.

From Quanta Magazine

If they were in no danger while in the streets, they would be when parting from them—at El Nino Perdido.

From Project Gutenberg

He found the escapados had gone out by El Nino Perdido, the sergeant on guard there allowing them to go past.

From Project Gutenberg

It seemed strange not only to him, but all others on guard at El Nino.

From Project Gutenberg

Almost on the instant that Lantejas presented himself in the courtyard, the cannon, El Nino, thundered forth another discharge.

From Project Gutenberg