What typically happens during an El Niño event?

During an El Niño event, sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean increase significantly. This warming impacts the atmospheric circulation and can lead to various climatic changes worldwide. One of the primary consequences of the warmer ocean temperatures is the alteration of weather patterns, which can cause increased rainfall in some areas and drought in others. Furthermore, these warmer sea surface temperatures can disrupt typical oceanic and atmospheric interactions that influence global climate systems, leading to a range of ecological and weather-related effects. Understanding this warming trend is crucial, as it characterizes the El Niño phenomenon and differentiates it from opposing events like La Niña, where sea surface temperatures cool.