2014–2016 El Niño event

Warming of the eastern Pacific Ocean December 2022 El Niño in November 2015.png Sea surface anomalies across the world in November 2015 during the 2014–2016 El Niño event. October 2014Historical ENSO events https://ds.data.jma.go.jp/tcc/tcc/products/elnino/ensoevents.html Japan Meteorological Agency 2 May 2016 17 June 2015Sham, F C Seasonal Rainfall under El Niño http://www.hko.gov.hk/blog/en/archives/00000186.htm 13 January 2016 Hong Kong Observatory 3 June 2016Each meteorological agency that monitors the state of the El Niño Southern Oscillation, has a different definition of what constitutes an El Niño event tailored to their needs.4 December 2014 December's ENSO Update: Close, but no cigar 22 March 2016 Becker, Emily https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/decembers-enso-update-close-no-cigar https://web.archive.org/web/20160322155232/https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/decembers-enso-update-close-no-cigar ENSO Blog dead Definition "nb" May 2016Australian Bureau of Meteorology https://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/wrap-up/archive/20160524.archive.shtml El Niño ends as tropical Pacific Ocean returns to neutral 24 May 2016 28 May 20169 June 2016 El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) diagnostic discussion: June 2016 https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_disc_jun2016/ensodisc.pdf United States Climate Prediction Center 2 June 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160602082535/http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.pdf liveEl Niño Outlook (June 2016 – December 2016) Japan Meteorological Agency http://ds.data.jma.go.jp/tcc/tcc/products/elnino/outlook.html 10 June 2016 10 June 2016 5 June 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160605171513/http://ds.data.jma.go.jp/tcc/tcc/products/elnino/outlook.html live Significant The Pacific Ocean and surrounding areas The 2014–2016 El Niño was one of the strongest El Niño events on record, with unusually warm waters developing between the coast of South America and the International Date Line. These unusually warm waters influenced the world's weather in a number of ways, which in turn significantly affected various parts of the world. These included drought conditions in Venezuela, Australia and a number of Pacific islands while significant flooding was also recorded. During the event, more tropical cyclones than normal occurred within the Pacific Ocean, while fewer than normal occurred in the Atlantic Ocean. Meteorological progression The 1997–1998 El Niño event was regarded as one of the strongest El Niño events in recorded history, which resulted in widespread drought, flooding and other natural disasters occurring around the globe.3. The strong 1997–98 El Niño and transition to a La Niña episode https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/assessments/assess_98/enso.html#warm United States Climate Prediction Center https://web.archive.org/web/20160425053403/http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/assessments/assess_98/enso.html 25 April 2016 14 May 1999 live Afterwards the climate of the Pacific Ocean was dominated by a cool phase of the Pacific decadal oscillation, with three significant La Niña events occurring between 1998–2001, 2007–09 and 2010–12.Historical El Niño/La Niña episodes (1950–present) 4 November 2015 https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/ensostuff/ensoyears.shtml United States Climate Prediction Center 10 January 2015Pacific ENSO Update: Special Edition 26 August 2014 http://www.weather.gov/media/peac/PEU/PEU_v20_SB1.pdf 20 SB1 United States Pacific El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Applications Climate Center https://web.archive.org/web/20160203214520/http://www.weather.gov/media/peac/PEU/PEU_v20_SB1.pdf 3 February 2016 live La Niña – Detailed Australian Analysis http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/lnlist/index.shtml Australian Bureau of Meteorology 10 January 2015 Despite the La Niña background to the Pacific Climate, four El Niño events occurred during 2002–03, 2004–05, 2006–07, and 2009–10. The first three of these events were weaker, while the 2009–10 event was a strong El Niño, but had shorter effects than the 1997–98 event.El Niño — Detailed Australian Analysis http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/enlist/ Australian Bureau of Meteorology 10 January 2015 After the 2010–12 La Niña event had ended, near-neutral conditions persisted over the Pacific Ocean with no La Niña or El Niño events occurring.El Niño/La Niña Update: April 2014 15 April 2014 live http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/wcp/wcasp/documents/WMO_ENSO_Apr2014_Eng.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20160304112024/http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/wcp/wcasp/documents/WMO_ENSO_Jan14_Eng.pdf 4 March 2016 World Meteorological Organization An intense burst of typhoon activity subsequently took place between September and November 2013, which was thought to possibly be a precursor signal to an impending change of the Pacific climate towards El Niño rather than La Niña. During January 2014, after surveying various climate models, the World Meteorological Organization warned that there was an enhanced possibility of a weak El Niño event happening during 2014.El Niño/La Niña Update: January 2014 World Meteorological Organization 30 January 2014 http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/wcp/wcasp/documents/WMO_ENSO_Jan14_Eng.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20160304112024/http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/wcp/wcasp/documents/WMO_ENSO_Jan14_Eng.pdf 4 March 2016 live Over the next few months the climate of the Pacific Ocean started to exhibit features that suggested the impending onset of an El Niño event.Pacific ENSO Update: 3rd Quarter 2014 26 August 2014 United States Pacific El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Applications Climate Center http://www.weather.gov/media/peac/PEU/PEU_v20_n3.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20160329141712/http://www.weather.gov/media/peac/PEU/PEU_v20_n3.pdf live 20 3 29 March 2016 Over the ocean, these features included: a rapid fall of the sea level in western Micronesia, as well as a large area of enhanced sea surface temperatures that were present at low latitudes near the International Date Line. In the atmosphere these features included persistent westerly winds at equatorial latitudes, which were displaced eastwards towards the Marshall Islands. A large area of atmospheric convection was present at a low latitude near the International Dateline, in association with the development of an unusual amount of early season tropical cyclones near the Marshall Islands. As a result of some of these conditions, an El Niño Watch was issued by the United States Climate Prediction Center (NOAA's CPC) and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society within their March 2014 diagnostic discussion.An El Nino watch is issued by the Climate Prediction Center when conditions are favourable for the development of an El Niño within the next six months.6 March 2014 ENSO Alert System 18 March 2016 http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/enso-alert-readme.shtml live United States Climate Prediction Center https://web.archive.org/web/20160318201304/http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/enso-alert-readme.shtml "nb"6 March 2014 El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) diagnostic discussion: March 2014 1 April 2014 http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_disc_mar2014/ensodisc.pdf live https://web.archive.org/web/20140401082636/http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_disc_mar2014/ensodisc.pdf United States Climate Prediction Center 7 May 2014 ENSO Blog: 8 May ENSO Diagnostic Discussion 20 December 2015 Becker, Emily https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/may-8-enso-diagnostic-discussion https://web.archive.org/web/20151220195616/https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/may-8-enso-diagnostic-discussion United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate.gov dead Over the next few months, the atmosphere failed to respond in order to reinforce the developing El Niño, with the monsoon trough remaining weak and tropical cyclone activity slowing, while no episodes of strong westerly winds at a low latitude occurred. Some of the oceanic indicators of El Niño also failed to develop further, with a cooling of sea and sub surface temperatures over the tropical Pacific occurring.Fiji Meteorological Service Climate Services Division Fiji Annual Climate Summary 2014 18 August 2015 http://www.met.gov.fj/Summary2.pdf 25 August 2015 4 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053600/http://www.met.gov.fj/Summary2.pdf live However, by the end of 2014, several of the El Niño indexes that were used to judge the state of the ENSO state, indicated that weak El Nino conditions had developed over the Pacific Ocean.Pacific ENSO Update: 1st Quarter 2015 3 March 2015 United States Pacific El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Applications Climate Center http://www.weather.gov/media/peac/PEU/PEU_v21_n1.pdf live 21 1 https://web.archive.org/web/20160329155737/http://www.weather.gov/media/peac/PEU/PEU_v21_n1.pdf 29 March 2016 As a result, a few of the international meteorological agencies, including the Japan Meteorological Agency and the Hong Kong Observatory reported that an El Niño event had developed during 2014, while others such as the Fiji Meteorological Service considered 2014 to be a near miss.https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/dec/10/first-el-nino-in-five-years-declared-by-japans-weather-bureau 10 January 2016 14 March 2016 live First El Niño in five years declared by Japan's weather bureau TheGuardian.com 10 December 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20160314071207/http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/dec/10/first-el-nino-in-five-years-declared-by-japans-weather-bureau At this time it was thought that the ENSO state would continue to hover at the borderline El Nino conditions, before easing back into neutral ENSO conditions.Pacific ENSO Update: 2nd Quarter 2015 29 May 2015 United States Pacific El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Applications Climate Center 21 2 http://www.weather.gov/media/peac/PEU/PEU_v21_n2.pdf live https://web.archive.org/web/20160304070616/http://www.weather.gov/media/peac/PEU/PEU_v21_n2.pdf 4 March 2016 After Typhoon Higos developed during February 2015, a new forecast scenario opened: El Niño might strengthen and persist through 2015. This scenario was supported by the same climate features that had predicted the weak El Niño developing during 2014. During their March 2015 diagnostic discussion, NOAA's CPC and the IRI reported that El Niño conditions had been observed during February 2015, after the above average sea surface temperatures had become weakly coupled with the tropical atmosphere.5 March 2014 El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) diagnostic discussion: March 2015 https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_disc_mar2015/ensodisc.pdf United States Climate Prediction Center5 March 2015 ENSO Blog: March 2015 ENSO discussion: El Niño is here Becker, Emily https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/march-2015-enso-discussion-el-ni%C3%B1o-here https://web.archive.org/web/20150307141837/http://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/march-2015-enso-discussion-el-ni%C3%B1o-here dead 7 March 2015 United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate.Gov By January 2015, westerly wind burst activity picked up again. The first Kelvin wave developed around March and another formed around May. In addition, another strong westerly wind burst event took place around July as a result of twin tropical cyclones straddling the equator. An even stronger event in October, and an unusually stronger event during late December 2015 into January 2016, also resulted from twin cyclones on opposite sides of the equator. In May 2015, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology respectively confirmed the arrival of weak El Niño conditions.https://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/archive/ensowrap_20150512.pdf ENSO Wrap-Up Australian Bureau of Meteorology 12 May 2015 28 July 2015 El Niño conditions were forecast in July to intensify into strong conditions by fall and winter of 2015.http://www.oregonlive.com/weather/index.ssf/2015/06/el_Niño_is_officially_back_and.html El Niño is officially back, and looks stronger than ever OregonLive.com 28 July 2015http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.html https://web.archive.org/web/20150614040420/http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.html 14 June 2015 Climate Prediction Center: ENSO Diagnostic Discussion 28 July 2015 In addition to the warmer than normal waters generated by the El Niño conditions, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation was also creating persistently higher than normal sea surface temperatures in the northeastern Pacific.http://www.nnvl.noaa.gov/MediaDetail2.php?MediaID=1726&MediaTypeID=1 NOAA Environmental Visualization Laboratory — July 2015 Ocean Temperatures Nnvl.noaa.gov 21 July 2015 28 July 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150724071542/http://www.nnvl.noaa.gov/MediaDetail2.php?MediaID=1726&MediaTypeID=1 24 July 2015 dead How This Year's El Niño Compares to the Past http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-this-year-s-el-Niño-compares-to-the-past/ 23 July 2015 Andrea Thompson Scientific American In August, the NOAA CPC predicted that the 2015 El Niño "could be among the strongest in the historical record dating back to 1950." Bremner Charles 15 August 2015 'Godzilla' El Niño is strongest in 50 years https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/north-america-travel/us-travel/california/godzilla-el-nino-is-strongest-in-50-years-2nr02222dh3 The Times London, UK subscription 15 August 2015 In mid November, NOAA reported that the temperature anomaly in the Niño 3.4 region for the 3-month average from August to October 2015 was the second warmest on record with only 1997 warmer.https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/november-el-ni%C3%B1o-update-it%E2%80%99s-small-world https://web.archive.org/web/20151208144819/https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/november-el-ni%C3%B1o-update-it%E2%80%99s-small-world dead 8 December 2015 ENSO Blog: November El Niño update: It's a small world United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate.Gov During November and December 2015, values within NOAA's Oceanic Niño Index peaked at 2.4 C-change, which surpassed December 1997 value of 2.2 C-change.14 January 2016 ENSO Blog: January El Niño update: It's got a lot going on 7 June 2016 Becker, Emily https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/january-el-ni%C3%B1o-update-it%E2%80%99s-got-lot-going https://web.archive.org/web/20160607133917/https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/january-el-ni%C3%B1o-update-it%E2%80%99s-got-lot-going ENSO Blog dead https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/may-2016-el-ni%C3%B1ola-ni%C3%B1a-update-switcheroo https://web.archive.org/web/20160608131237/https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/may-2016-el-ni%C3%B1ola-ni%C3%B1a-update-switcheroo dead 8 June 2016 May 2016 El Niño/La Niña update: Switcheroo! www.climate.gov 28 December 2022 NOAA subsequently reported that the 3-month average from November 2015 to January 2016 of the ONI had peaked at 2.3 C-change, which meant that the 2014–16 event was tied with the 1997–98 event for the strongest values on record.11 February 2016 ENSO Blog: February 2016 El Niño update: Q & A...and some Thursday-morning quarterbacking United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Becker, Emily https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/february-2016-el-ni%C3%B1o-update-q-a%E2%80%A6and-some-thursday-morning-quarterbacking Climate.Gov https://web.archive.org/web/20160621131440/https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/february-2016-el-ni%C3%B1o-update-q-a%E2%80%A6and-some-thursday-morning-quarterbacking 21 June 2016 dead However, overall the event was considered to be one of the three strongest El Nino events since 1950, since there was a number of different ways to measure the strength of an event. The event subsequently started to weaken with sea surface temperature anomalies across the equatorial pacific decreasing, while predictions about a possible La Niña event taking place during 2016 started to be made.9 March 2016 ENSO Blog: March 2016 El Niño update: Spring Forward Becker, Emily dead 21 June 2016 United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/march-2016-el-ni%C3%B1o-update-spring-forward https://web.archive.org/web/20160621131346/https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/march-2016-el-ni%C3%B1o-update-spring-forward Climate.Gov https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/april-2016-el-ni%C3%B1ola-ni%C3%B1a-update-what-goes-... ENSO Blog: April 2016 El Niño/La Niña update: What goes up... 14 April 2016 29 May 2016 Climate.Gov Becker, Emily United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 14 December 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20171214140904/https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/april-2016-el-ni%C3%B1ola-ni%C3%B1a-update-what-goes-... dead During May 2016, the El Niño event dissipated as near to below average sea surface temperatures, expanded across the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. Atmospheric anomalies over the tropical Pacific Ocean had also weakened and become consistent with ENSO neutral conditions.9 June 2016 dead ENSO Blog: June 2016 ENSO discussion: The new neutral Becker, Emily United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/june-enso-discussion-new-neutral Climate.Gov https://web.archive.org/web/20160620151941/https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/june-enso-discussion-new-neutral 20 June 2016 These anomalies included the traditional and equatorial Southern Oscillation indices becoming near zero, while atmospheric convection, upper and lower level winds all became near average. As a result of this the BoM, NOAA's CPC, IRI, and the JMA, all declared that the record-tying El Niño event had ended in late May/early June. Effects on tropical cyclone activity The 2014–16 El Niño event influenced tropical cyclone activity around the world, where it contributed to record breaking seasons in the Central Pacific and Eastern Pacific tropical cyclone basins. By contrast, it limited Atlantic hurricane activity, producing strong vertical wind shear, increased atmospheric stability, stronger sinking motion and drier air across the tropical Atlantic.http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2015/120115-below-normal-atlantic-hurricane-season-ends-active-eastern-and-central-pacific-seasons-shatter-records.html Below-normal Atlantic hurricane season ends; active eastern and central Pacific seasons shatter records The Central Pacific basin saw its most active tropical cyclone season on record with 16 tropical cyclones recorded during 2015.http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/pages/TWS.php?dt=201601 Tropical Weather Summary for the Central North Pacific: January 2016 United States Central Pacific Hurricane Center Within the Southern Hemisphere, the El Niño pushed tropical cyclone activity in the South Pacific Ocean eastwards, with activity flourishing near Vanuatu, Fiji and Tonga.http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/3-cyclones-mark-slowest-tropic/56967800 3 cyclones mark slowest tropical season on record for Australia Accuweather.com 30 April 2016 29 May 2016 7 October 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20191007044739/https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/3-cyclones-mark-slowest-tropic/56967800 dead Brian K Sullivan WeatherSullivan https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-20/el-nino-tames-australian-cyclones-as-46-year-old-mark-to-fall El Nino Tames Australian Cyclones as 46-Year-Old Mark to Fall Bloomberg 20 April 2016 29 May 2016 As a result of this displacement and other factors such as a positive Indian Ocean Dipole, the 2015–16 Australian region cyclone season was the least active since reliable records started during 1950s, with only three named tropical cyclones developing in the region compared to an average of eleven.Australian Bureau of Meteorology May 2016 10 May 2016 http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/updates/articles/a017.shtml Dry and hot in the northern tropics 17 June 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160617081717/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/updates/articles/a017.shtml live Australian Bureau of Meteorology 10 May 2016 10 May 2016 17 June 2016 http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/tropical-note/archive/20160510.archive.shtml 2015–16 southern hemisphere wet-season review https://web.archive.org/web/20160617084525/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/tropical-note/archive/20160510.archive.shtml live The event also contributed to six systems forming outside of the season boundaries, within the North Atlantic, Eastern and Southern Pacific basins. These systems included Tropical Cyclone Raquel, which was considered by some to be a part of both the 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons, but was later deemed to only be a part of the 2014–15 season.Australian Bureau of Meteorology 23 October 2015 16 November 2015 1–4 https://www.bom.gov.au/inside/eiab/reports/ar14-15/doc/bureau-annual-report-2014-2015.pdf Australian Bureau of Meteorology Annual Report 2014–15Top 10 Most Unusual Tropical Weather Events of 2015 #10: Earliest and Latest Cyclone on Record in the South Pacific Vagell, Quincy https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/ten-odd-facts-tropics-hurricanes-2015#/2 The Weather Channel 30 January 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20150726022716/http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/277646/pacific-cyclone-in-july-a-freak-event 26 July 2015 live Tropical Depressions 01F and 02F developed in the South Pacific during July and October 2015, which affected Fiji, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.Young, Steve 31 August 2015 Monthly Global Tropical Cyclone Tracks: July 2015 https://www.australiasevereweather.com/cyclones/2015/trak1506.htm live https://web.archive.org/web/20151009115105/http://australiasevereweather.com/cyclones/2016/trak1507.htm 9 October 2015 Australian Severe Weather 6 June 2016 Climate Services Division Fiji Climate Summary: October 2015 6 June 2016 http://www.met.gov.fj/Summary2.pdf 4 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042600/http://www.met.gov.fj/Summary1.pdf 8 November 2015 Fiji Meteorological Service 36 10 live Tropical Depression Nine-C subsequently formed in the Central Pacific on 31 December, whose remnants in turn contributed to the development of Hurricane Pali on 7 January. This also caused the latest end and earliest start to the 2015 and 2016 Pacific hurricane seasons, respectively. Other significant tropical cyclones during the event included: Cyclone Pam, which became the second most intense tropical cyclone in the South Pacific in terms of wind speed and devastated Vanuatu; Cyclone Winston, was the most intense tropical cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere and devastated Fiji; Cyclone Fantala, which was the strongest storm in terms of 1-minute and 10-minute sustained winds in the South Indian Ocean; and Hurricane Patricia, which was the second-most-intense tropical cyclone on record globally in terms of barometric pressure, and the strongest in terms of 1-minute sustained winds. Impact The El Niño event affected millions of people around the world, including in Africa, Central America, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands.El Niño CERF-funded response in 2015–2016 http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/CERF_el-ni%C3%B1o_20160401.pdf United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 19 April 2016 1 April 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160504204239/http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/CERF_el-ni%C3%B1o_20160401.pdf 4 May 2016 dead These effects included below or above-average rainfall, flooding, increased food insecurity, higher malnutrition rates and devastated livelihoods. The El Niño event also contributed to the Earth's warming trend, with 2014 and 2015 being two of the warmest years on record.2014 one of the warmest years on record globally 9 August 2016 live http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/archive/2015/2014-global-temperature Met Office 18 June 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160809044025/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/archive/2015/2014-global-temperature 16 June 2016 2014 one of the warmest years on record globally live http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/archive/2016/2015-global-temperature Met Office 18 June 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160616155635/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/archive/2016/2015-global-temperature May 2016 El Niño is over, but has left its mark across the world Cook, Alison Watkins, Andrew B 1 July 2016 live Ganter, Catherine http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/updates/articles/a018.shtml Trewin, Blair https://web.archive.org/web/20160701184020/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/updates/articles/a018.shtml Australian Bureau of Meteorology 50px This article contains quotations from this source, which is available under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia licence. Over 60 million people faced hunger and malnutrition in 2016 due to drought effects influenced by ENSO, with Africa worst hit, Indochina faced a severe drop in food production, and Ethiopia counted 10 million people at risk.https://www.circleofblue.org/2016/africa/el-nino-damage-continues/ El Nino Is Over But the Damage Continues More than 60 million people face hunger, malnutrition. Circle of Blue 19 April 2016 Australia Over Australia, the drying influence of the event was initially counteracted by warm temperatures in the Indian Ocean, which lead to above average rainfall falling over parts of Western Australia, New South Wales and eastern Victoria. However, by the start of austral Spring 2015, the Indian Ocean had started to help the El Niño, which resulted in Australia's third-driest spring on record and limited growth at the end of cropping season. The lack of heavy rains in the north and west meant reduced downtime for mining, while fewer clouds and less tropical rain, contributed to the most severe coral bleaching event on record for the Great Barrier Reef. The combination of heat and low rainfall brought a very early start to the 2015–16 Australian bushfire season, with over 125 fires burning in Victoria and Tasmania during October. Dry conditions in Tasmania also resulted in hundreds of fires being started by dry lightning during January 2016, which damaged large areas of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area, including parts which may not have seen fire for centuries. Africa The El Niño event enhanced the 2015 short rains season between October and December 2015, with more rainfall than normal falling in eastern Africa. The 2014–2016 El-Niño phenomenon, according to the World Meteorological Organization, is one of the three strongest since 1950. A number of countries in Africa including Lesotho, Swaziland and Zimbabwe declared national states of emergency, while the Southern African Development Community declared a regional drought disaster in March 2016.http://www.riscura.com/brightafrica/el-nino/overview-el-nino/ El Niño in Africa en-US 7 July 2016 North America During the winter of 2014–2015, the typical precipitation and impacts of an El Niño event did not occur over North America, as the event was weak and on the borderline of being an event.12 June 2014 With El Niño likely, what climate impacts are favored for this summer? Barnston, Anthony ENSO Blog https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/el-ni%C3%B1o-likely-what-climate-impacts-are-favored-summer dead https://web.archive.org/web/20160330112702/https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/el-ni%C3%B1o-likely-what-climate-impacts-are-favored-summer 30 March 2016 Both northern New York and lower Ontario in Canada received unprecedented snowfall early in the winter with Buffalo buried in 7 ft m and Toronto in 3 ft m. Ahead of the 2015–16 winter, it was hoped that the El Niño would bring some relief from five years of drought conditions that had occurred in California. However, the event failed to end the long term dryness, despite some regions including Pacifica receiving heavy rain which led to mudslides.https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-cliff-crumbling-pacifica-20160126-story.html El Niño storms erode Pacifica bluff as homes teeter on the edge 26 January 2016 26 January 2016 Los Angeles Times Rocha, Veronica In the south eastern and south central United States above normal rainfall occurred, with Missouri receiving three times its normal rainfall during November and December 2015. El Niño also contributed to the January 2016 United States winter storm becoming the largest snowstorm on record for New York City,10 Years Ago, a Super El Niño Brought Historic Snow https://www.mensjournal.com/news/10-years-ago-a-super-el-nino-brought-historic-snow September 13, 2026 Men’s Journal August 5, 2026 despite the winter clocking in as the warmest winter on record in New England, and second warmest for New York State and New Jersey.Lower 48 States Just Experienced the Warmest Winter on Record https://weather.com/news/climate/news/record-warmest-winter-us-2015-2016 September 13, 2026 The Weather Channel April 6, 2016 El Niño also resulted in below average activity in the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season, which only produced 11 tropical storms and 4 hurricanes, below the averages of 12 and 6 respectively.2015 Hurricane Season in Review: 11 Things We Will Remember https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/hurricane-season-2015-recap September 13, 2026 The Weather Channel November 30, 2025 South America thumb|Increased black and brown carbon over the Amazon rainforest due to high fire activity. Between September and December 2015, Northern South America was generally dry, with parts of Venezuela suffering from drought conditions.Venezuela introduces two-day week to deal with energy crisis https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-36145184 bbc.co.uk 8 June 2021 27 April 2016 Over the same period Uruguay, southern Brazil, and Paraguay experienced a lot of rain. In 2015, the Southeast Region of Brazil suffered the consequences of a severe drought (aggravated by El Niño), which led to above-average temperatures and a large decline in the level of several rivers and reservoirs; as a result, residents had to save water and cutoffs were made. However, at the same time, the South Region passed by a large period of severe thunderstorms (another consequence of El Niño), which led to strong floods; several rivers reached the highest level in decades and thousands of people were left homeless. The increased occurrence of fires in the southern Amazon Basin produced a significant increase in aerosol pollution over the Amazon rainforest.Saturno Jorge Holanda Bruna A. Pöhlker Christopher Ditas Florian Wang Qiaoqiao Moran-Zuloaga Daniel Brito Joel Carbone Samara Cheng Yafang Chi Xuguang Ditas Jeannine Hoffmann Thorsten Hrabe de Angelis Isabella Könemann Tobias Lavrič Jošt V. 2018-09-06 Black and brown carbon over central Amazonia: long-term aerosol measurements at the ATTO site https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/18/12817/2018/ Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics en 18 17 12817–12843 10.5194/acp-18-12817-2018 2018ACP....1812817S 1680-7324 free 11858/00-001M-0000-002E-89B6-D free Pacific Islands During the event the Walker circulation and associated rainfall was shifted eastwards, which meant that a large part of the Pacific received below average rainfall.20 April 2016 Drought in the Pacific Di Liberto, Tom https://www.climate.gov/news-features/event-tracker/drought-pacific https://archive.today/20230626174403/https://www.climate.gov/news-features/event-tracker/drought-pacific dead 26 June 2023 United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate.Gov As a result, drought conditions were observed on several Pacific island nations, with an estimated 4.7 million people affected including people in Fiji, Micronesia, Palau, Samoa, Vanuatu, Tonga, the Solomon Islands and the Marshall Islands.El Nino Advisory Note December 2015 http://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/El%20Nino%20Advisory%20Note%20Dec%202015%20Final.pdf The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific https://web.archive.org/web/20160806011218/http://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/El%20Nino%20Advisory%20Note%20Dec%202015%20Final.pdf 6 August 2016 9 December 2015 live During the event, tuna schools migrated away from their traditional waters near Papua New Guinea, to waters surrounding the island nation of Kiribati.Packham, Colin El Nino is bittersweet for disappearing Kiribati as it battles climate change https://www.reuters.com/article/us-climatechange-elnino-tuna-idUSKBN0TM0F320151203 Reuters 3 December 2015 As a result of this over 700000 tonnes of Tuna was caught in waters surrounding Kiribati during 2014, while the island nation was able to sell access rights to international fishing firms at over $15,000 a day. Projections were subsequently made by the Asian Development Bank that Kiribati, would earn over AUD 150 million (US$109 million) during 2015 from fishing licences. Researchers from the NOAA also recorded coral cover losses of up to 90% at study sites on the island of Kiritimati (Christmas Island) after the 2015/16 El Niño event.https://www.climate.gov/news-features/features/conversation-danielle-claar-noaa-postdoc-marine-scientist-diver https://web.archive.org/web/20200213101145/https://www.climate.gov/news-features/features/conversation-danielle-claar-noaa-postdoc-marine-scientist-diver dead 13 February 2020 A conversation with Danielle Claar: NOAA Postdoc, marine scientist, diver www.climate.gov 2020-04-20 As El Niño conditions started to develop during early 2014, sea levels in western Micronesia including in waters surrounding the island nations of Palau and Guam dropped by 6 - 9 ft m. In Palau, the El Niño resulted in the worst drought conditions in nearly eighty years. The island nations of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands made emergency or disaster declarations, due to extreme drought conditions from the El Niño.Dumat-ol Daleno Gaynor Severe drought hits region, El Niño the culprit http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2016/04/13/severe-drought-hits-region-el-nio-culprit/82970746/ Pacific Daily News 14 April 2016 7 May 2016 2015 also set a record for most active hurricane season in the eastern Pacific, and contributed to the intensity of Hurricane Patricia, which wound up having the fastest wind speed of any tropical cyclone in recorded history.Hurricane Patricia: The role of El Niño, climate change and good fortune https://www.carbonbrief.org/hurricane-patricia-the-role-of-el-nino-climate-change-and-good-fortune September 13, 2026 CarbonBrief October 26, 2015The record-breaking 2015 hurricane season in the eastern North Pacific: An analysis of environmental conditions https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/15292 September 13, 2026 AGU Publications 2016 Southeastern Asia Philippines Within the Philippines, the El Niño event caused a delay in the onset of the 2015 rainy season, while causing weaker than normal monsoon activity, below average rainfall, fewer tropical cyclones and above average air temperatures.De Vera, Ellalyn Dire consequences of El Niño expected until mid-2016 http://www.mb.com.ph/dire-consequences-of-el-nino-expected-until-mid-2016/ Manila Bulletin 6 January 2016 6 June 2016 As a result of this 85% of the provinces were hit by drought conditions, while PAGASA advised people to conserve water, in case the high water level of the Angat Dam fell below 212 m ft. During April 2016, the Philippine Department of Agriculture, estimated total damages to crops between February 2015 and March 2016, at just under PhP 10 billion (US$217 million).Binaday, Gabrielle H El Niño damage hits P10 billion https://manilastandard.net/news/-provinces/203045/el-ni-o-damage-hits-p10-billion.html 14 April 2016 The Standard 7 April 2016 14 December 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20171214145915/http://thestandard.com.ph/news/-provinces/203045/el-ni-o-damage-hits-p10-billion.html live In Maguindanao, many rice and corn fields were destroyed by the drought brought by El Niño, and soon, the provincial government declared a state of calamity in the province.Unson John Maguindanao farmers lose crops due to El Niño http://www.philstar.com/nation/2016/02/05/1549697/maguindanao-farmers-lose-crops-due-el-nino 20 February 2016 Philstar Global Philippine Star Philstar 5 February 2016 Earlier, Cotabato declared a state of calamity,Magbanua Williamor Cotabato in state of calamity due to El Nino, rat infestation https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/551914/money/economy/cotabato-in-state-of-calamity-due-to-el-nino-rat-infestation 14 April 2016 GMA News Online GMA News and the provincial government's aid to the farmers suffering from the drought caused a protest and a clash with police in Kidapawan.Velez Tyron Explaining the barricade, El Nino, negligence, and suppression http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/opinion/2016/04/08/explaining-barricade-el-nino-negligence-and-suppression-465835 14 April 2016 Sun.Star Davao 3 April 2016 14 December 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20171214222129/http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/opinion/2016/04/08/explaining-barricade-el-nino-negligence-and-suppression-465835 dead Iloilo, Guimaras, General Santos, Isabela, Quirino, Bukidnon, Davao del Sur, Basilan, Bohol, and Cebu declared a state of calamity due to Typhoon Melor.Nepumoceno Jezza A. El Niño costs Iloilo P805M in agri damage http://www.sunstar.com.ph/iloilo/local-news/2016/03/17/el-nino-costs-iloilo-p805m-agri-damage-463098 14 April 2016 Sun.Star Iloilo 17 March 2016 24 April 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160424232525/http://www.sunstar.com.ph/iloilo/local-news/2016/03/17/el-nino-costs-iloilo-p805m-agri-damage-463098 deadGuimaras under state of calamity due to El Niño http://www.sunstar.com.ph/iloilo/local-news/2016/03/09/guimaras-under-state-calamity-due-el-nino-461614 14 April 2016 Sun.Star Iloilo 9 March 2016 25 April 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160425014450/http://www.sunstar.com.ph/iloilo/local-news/2016/03/09/guimaras-under-state-calamity-due-el-nino-461614 deadAdlaw Jerry N. GenSan declares state of calamity https://www.manilatimes.net/°gensan-declares-state-of-calamity/254956/ 14 April 2016 The Manila Times 8 April 2016 Vietnam Cửu Long Droughts and saltwater infiltration were considered to be particularly serious, the worst within the last 100 years, causing severe damage to the western provinces.http://vnexpress.net/tin-tuc/thoi-su/mien-tay-han-man-nghiem-trong-nhat-100-nam-3356338.html Miền Tây hạn, mặn nghiêm trọng nhất 100 năm 19 February 2016 vnexpress.net 19 February 2016 United Kingdom The winter of 2015–2016 brought serious floods, record rainfall and very mild temperatures across the UK. The Central England Temperature is a series of temperature data going back to 1659, the winter of 2015–2016 ranked as second warmest, behind 1868–1869.https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadcet/mly_cet_mean_sort.txt Meteorology Office 19 May 2019 6 April 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110406073642/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadcet/mly_cet_mean_sort.txt dead The England and Wales Precipitation records go back to 1766, and 2015–16 was the ninth wettest winter on record.https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadukp/data/ranked_seasonal/HadEWP_ranked_ssn.dat EWP Ranked Seasonal 19 May 2019 19 March 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190319212557/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadukp/data/ranked_seasonal/HadEWP_ranked_ssn.dat dead It is thought that this was caused by the strong El Niño.https://www.todaysconveyancer.co.uk/guest-writers/is-el-nino-to-blame-for-the-extreme-weather-conditions-experienced-in-the-uk/ Is el Niño to blame for the extreme weather conditions experienced in the UK? 25 February 2016 See also Super El Niño events Notes nb References 30em Further reading Danielle Claar - Marine Scientist who has studied the effects of the 2015/2016 El Niño on coral symbiosis and coral reef fish parasites. El Niño El Niño El Niño Category:El Niño–Southern Oscillation events El Niño El Niño El Niño