by SEBASTIAN POLONIS and ERICA MENG
After El Niño’s arrival in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean area in early June, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin- istration saw some of the hottest September temperatures in 174 years of tracking climate data. Sep- tember days were found to be, on average, hotter than the average day in June 2010.
With several months to go, El Niño could bring devastating impact to both Central and North America.
El Niño, “the boy” in Spanish, is a natural occurring climate event caused by a rise in temperature of the Pacific Ocean affecting weather worldwide. This is mainly because of strengthened western winds driving against weakened trade winds, decreasing the power with which water is pushed to the west.
During an El Niño event, the eastern Pacific Ocean can warm up to 4-5°F higher in weaker events, and up to 18°F higher than normal in stronger events.
In 2017, the world oversaw some of the hottest months ever, coinciding with a tremendous at- tack by an El Niño that created severe droughts which tore up nations.
During one of the strongest events ever recorded in history, the 2014 El Niño event caused severe droughts in Venezuela and Australia, while at the same time bringing floods to the Pacific Islands.
The effects of these disasters carried into 2015, where 16 hurricanes passed through the abnor- mally warm Pacific Ocean, setting a new record for the most hurricanes in one year.
Experts saw early signs of an El Niño arrival from detecting Kelvin Waves, which are warm-water waves forming at the edge of the equator, ranging 2-4 inches higher and hundreds of miles wider. These waves were detected by a sea-level satellite.
In September, water temperature rose 1.3° higher than August, which had already been higher than usual. Experts hypothesize that El Niño has a 95% chance of staying around until late March 2024, which could cause a massive heat increase in the winter. In fact, this is the hottest the oceans have been in the past 17 years.
While influencing our weather, El Niño also influences marine life in the Pacific. In warmer waters, tropical fish such as tuna, mahi mahi and swordfish will survive better, leading to an influx in population.
Warmer waters also mean that these species can swim further into U.S. coasts, leading some tropical fish to be found in unnatural areas.
Cold-water species will move north and disperse into deeper waters to find colder temperatures. Squid, a key catch for many California fisheries, will migrate out of their normal areas, leaving many shops with fewer of the species.
Another group of fish that migrate are types of Pacific salmon. Warmer waters tend to reduce the salmon population, which needs extra oxygen often found in colder waters. During El Niño, salmon will travel deeper into Canada rather than their normal route of staying closer to Washington.
As for Southern California residents, NOAA predicts that this El Niño will have a 30-40% chance of increasing rainfall in the Los Angeles area.
There is also a 30-40% chance of increased temperatures throughout the winter season. With the climate staying hot and humid, the northern parts of the U.S. should expect warmer than normal temperatures, with the polar jet stream keeping the cold air up in Canada.
The Mainsheet 