Strongest El Niño Events on Record

El Niño events significantly alter global climate patterns, with these three episodes ranking as the most powerful in terms of temperature anomalies in the equatorial Pacific.

The top 3

1. The 1997-1998 Super El Niño: Often cited as the 'El Niño of the century,' this event caused massive floods and droughts worldwide, with a peak Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) of 2.4.
2. The 2015-2016 Global Impact: This event caused widespread coral bleaching and exacerbated wildfires in South America and Southeast Asia, reaching an ONI peak of 2.6.
3. The 1982-1983 Weather Anomaly: The first major El Niño of the satellite era, it redefined climate modeling and highlighted the profound link between ocean temperatures and regional wildfires.

Sources

• NOAA Climate.gov

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