El Nino events have been happening for thousands of years, and were noted by fishermen in Peru at least as early as the 16th century.  It has global impacts.  El Nino events commonly bring heavy rain and poor fishing to the tropical west coast of South America, droughts and fires to northern Australia and Indonesia, heavy rains to southern California, and above-normal temperatures in northwestern North America and Japan. 

 Last Updated:
10/28/2002