<h1>What are El Niño and La Niña?</h1>

Photo is "El Niño in the Atlantic Ocean abnormally" by tonynetone is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

El Niño and La Niña (#ad) are opposite phases of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which is a natural climate pattern that occurs in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. These phenomena have significant impacts on weather patterns around the world.

El Niño:

Warmer than usual sea surface temperatures: El Niño is characterized by the abnormal warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean.
Impact on weather: This warming of the ocean can disrupt normal atmospheric circulation patterns, leading to a variety of climate-related impacts. El Niño is associated with increased rainfall in some regions and drought conditions in others.
Global impacts: El Niño events can affect weather patterns globally, influencing things like hurricanes, monsoons, and precipitation patterns.

Photo is "File:La Niña Comes to a Close (7142184695).jpg" by NASA Earth Observatory is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

La Niña:

Colder than usual sea surface temperatures: La Niña is the opposite phase of ENSO and is characterized by cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean.
Impact on weather: La Niña tends to have different effects on weather patterns compared to El Niño. It is often associated with increased rainfall in some regions, such as the western Pacific, and can contribute to more active hurricane seasons in the Atlantic.
Global impacts: Like El Niño, La Niña can have widespread impacts on global weather patterns, affecting temperature and precipitation regimes.

These phenomena are part of a natural climate variability cycle that typically occurs every 2 to 7 years, although the timing and intensity can vary. The impacts of El Niño and La Niña events can be significant and can influence agricultural productivity, water resources, and even contribute to extreme weather events. Climate scientists closely monitor ENSO conditions to provide early warnings of potential impacts on weather patterns.