El Niño and La Niña

ENSO is short for El Niño-Southern Oscillation. It is a climate oscillation, or a long term see-saw in atmospheric and ocean conditions across the Pacific Ocean. There are three phases of ENSO: El Niño, La Niña, and Neutral. Each phase brings a change to the winds, sea surface temperatures, and rainfall across the globe and here in Aotearoa New Zealand.