The Impact of El Nino on Global Hazards

What is El Nino?

El Niño Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, is a climate pattern that occurs across the tropical Pacific Ocean on average every five years, but over a period which varies from three to seven years.

It is characterised by the warming of the surface of the eastern Pacific Ocean and the dominance of low pressure in the atmosphere in that region.

Frequency of El Nino Events

Normal

El Nino

Normal

El Nino

El Nino Sea Surface Temperature

Normal Sea Surface Temperature

Global Impact of El Nino

Legend: Potential Areas Legend: Potential Areas Under Under

Severe drought impactsSevere drought impacts

Drought impacts with major Drought impacts with major losseslosses

Moderate drought impactsModerate drought impacts

Near normal to above normal Near normal to above normal conditioncondition

Way above normal conditionWay above normal condition

Flood damageFlood damage

Severe flood damageSevere flood damage

Analysing the Impact of El Nino on Droughts in The Philippines

Impact of El Nino On California

Flooding in San Francisco

During the winter of 1997-98, wind-driven waves and abnormally high sea levels significantly contributed to hundreds of millions of dollars in flood and storm damage in the San Francisco Bay region. Recent analyses by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists of nearly 100 years of sea-level records collected near the Golden Gate Bridge found that these abnormally high sea levels were the direct result of that year's El Niño atmospheric phenomenon.

The Impact of El Nino on Global Hazards