The possibility of a return of the El Niño climate phenomenon is being taken more seriously by meteorologists. Several forecasting models suggest a "Super El Niño" for this year, analysts at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology say.
The Pacific Ocean can, in fact, "be seen as a kind of planetary air conditioner," explains oceanographer Jérôme Vialard. El Niño occurs on average every three to four years, suggesting that his return this year would not be a statistical aberration.