ENSO interactive lesson

True or False:

Determine weather (get it, weATHER?) the following statements about ENSO are factual or incorrect. Let's start!

Let's Play a Game!

According to PAG-ASA, we are currently experiencing the effects of El Nino while we are on La Nina watch. What is the difference between watch, alert, and the stages themselves?

"Watch" indicates that all conditions are favorable for it to occur, while "Warning" (Or Alert here in the Philippines) means that these conditions have come together already. The actual stage itself (ex. El Nino, La Nina, or Inactive) means that we are currently experiencing its effects.

As seen in the meme,

El Nino brings hotter weather to the west of the Pacific, while La Nina brings wetter conditions.

West Pacific (Philippines)

In contrast, El Nino brings rainy weather to the east of the Pacific, while La Nina brings drier conditions.

​​East Pacific (Peru)

Trade winds blow warm water to the west of the Pacific ocean, leaving cool water behind in the east. Warm water from the ocean gets sucked up into the atmosphere to form low pressure areas, causing the west of the pacific to get rainy weather conditions while the east gets drier weather conditions.

NEUTRAL stage

During El Nino, the trade winds WEAKEN, meaning less warm water gets blown into the west and concentrates on the east of the Pacific ocean instead. This causes a drier weather in the west and rainy weather in the east.

EL NINO stage

Lastly, during LA Nina the trade winds get STRONGER, meaning even more warm water gets blown into the west and concentrates there, while the east gets little to none warm water. This causes an extremely rainy condition in the west of the Pacific, and extremely dry conditions in the east.

LA NINA stage

To summarize:

​The daily global temperature will dictate the stage of the ENSO. As per PAG-ASA, an increase of 0.5 degrees Celsius from the daily global average temperature would indicate the El Nino, while a decrease of 0.5 degrees Celsius from the daily global average temperature would indicate the La Nina. Anything in between would be Neutral or Inactive.

and they typically last only 9-12 months.
The last La Nina ended on March 2023, and the El Nino prior to that ended in August 2019

EL Nino and La Nina reoccur every 2-7 years!