What are the effects of El Niño?
El Niño Southern Oscillation is not some little isolated event in the
Pacific Ocean. Through teleconnections, which are defined as atmospheric
interactions between widely separated regions, it can indirectly and directly
have an impact around the world. El Niño
has a cold counterpart called
and these events are part of the El Niño
To see some of the impacted areas in detail; click on the regions on the image map.
El Niño impacts (winter after onset)
La Niña impacts (winter after onset)
Primary effects: these are directly caused.
- Alteration of weather patterns which include:
- Alteration of currents and ocean temperature
Secondary effects: these are some consequenses:
- Economic changes, price of heating, food, etc.
- Political and social unrest
- Crash of fisheries
- Plagues (hanta virus)
- Insect population explosion leading to disease and plagues.
- Crop failure
Some benefits of El Niño:
- Fewer hurricanes and other tropical cyclones in the north Atlantic
- Milder winters in southern Canada and the northern continental United
- Replenishment of water supplies in the southwestern U.S.
- Less disease in some areas due to drier weather (like malaria
in southeastern Africa)