Do you often think about how warmer or colder than average ocean temperatures in one part of the world can influence weather around the globe? Does it boggle your mind?
The video from NOAA's National Ocean Service explains the mechanism behind El Nino and La Nina events.
Normally, trade winds blowing from the east to west push warm surface waters towards Asia, piling it up in the western Pacific.
During El Niño years, the trade winds become weaker. The warm surface water then moves eastward and reduces the upwelling of cold water off the coast of South America. The exact opposite happens during La Niña event.
Eventually, these trade winds gain strength and sometimes become even stronger than normal. These strong trade winds then lead to a La Niña event.
Image Credit - NOAA