Mar 3, 2025 - Energy & Climate
Say hello to El Niño Costero
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While a weak La Niña is taking place in the tropical Pacific Ocean, a unique phenomenon is developing along South America's west coast.
Why it matters: It could have a big impact on the weather for millions of people.
Threat level: The waters off the coast of Peru are unusually hot, suggestive of the development of a local event known as El Niño Costero, or a coastal El Niño.
- This is unrelated to the broader state of the Pacific, which influences the weather in the U.S. and beyond.
- But it could have big effects more regionally. Past coastal El Niño events have caused damaging flooding in Peru and other parts of western South America.
What we're watching: How much longer La Niña (featuring unusually cooler-than-average waters) hangs on more broadly, and how this local El Niño phenomenon evolves and affects Peru and neighboring countries.
