El Niño is a noun referring to a climate phenomenon characterized by unusually warm ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific near the equator, which disrupts global weather patterns. It is also used as a proper name for the weather event itself or in some contexts to name products or projects. The term comes from Spanish, literally “the boy” or “the child,” often used in conjunction with Niño, in reference to the boy Jesus, due to the warming phase being associated with Santa Claus year-end signals. Graduate models note that El Niño episodes recur irregularly, roughly every 2–7 years, and can last 9–12 months or longer.
Full pronunciation guide
