El Nino

Although still a relative mystery to scientist el nino is known to occur when east and west trade winds are reversed during an exchange of air masses between the pacific and Indian ocean. These winds travel across the equator towards S.America heating up the water and air in the path causing violent rainstorms along the way. The subsequent heat fuels a climatic event which throws the global weather machine into chaos prompting random and unpredictable changes in weather all around the globe. These range from powerful hurricane to record breaking temperature and freak floods. El nino occurs up to 30 times every century however only a few are large and powerful enough to cause significant damage.

The el nino which is Spanish for boy-child was the name given by Peruvian fishermen to the strong wind which was witnessed near chrismas in an elnino year.the boy-child refers to boy Jesus.

Some historian believe that el nino may have helped trigger the French revoltion an el nino event in 1787-88 brought with it devastating crop failure which certainly contributed to unrest in france during the late 18th century. Scientist and historians have suggested a connection btw el nino and other key episodes in human history. for example crop failure and poor weather may have contributed to the spread of diseases such as black death that struck europe in the middle ages or the outbreak of malaria in java and other tropical areas during the 17th century .another crop failure that may have been exarcebarted by el nino in 1845 may have contributed to crop failure triggering the terrible potato famine in Ireland that year.