Current El Niño sets temperature record in central Pacific

New Scientist : During the 1997–98 El Niño, water temperatures in the central Pacific Ocean peaked at 2.8 °C above the region’s average temperature. And more recent El Niños have been shown to be stronger than at any other time in the last 400 years. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this year on 18 November water temperatures reached 3.1 °C above the average. That suggests that the effects of this year’s El Niño could be just as significant as those of the previous record setter, when extreme weather killed 20 000 people and caused $97 billion in damages globally. El Niños occur when waters warmed around Australia and Indonesia flow into the Pacific Ocean. The additional warmth in the ocean significantly affects the atmosphere and causes a cascade effect, changing rainfall patterns around the world.