The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) announced on Thursday that El Niño conditions have developed. The NOAA has observed water temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean remain 0.5°C above average for over three months.br br Trade winds blowing from east to west across the equatorial Pacific send warm surface waters to the eastern Pacific, generating a low-pressure area over which storms form. br br El Niño occurs when the winds reverse for periods as long as several months, causing warm water to spread over the central and eastern Pacific. This reorganises rainfall and atmospheric circulation bringing unseasonal and intense weather which can cause bushfires in Australia and flooding in South America.br br The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) says there is a 50-60 chance that the 2015 El Niño will continue through spring. br br El Niño will likely provide some rainfall relief to drought-stricken California but it's not expected to have drastic global effects.br br El Niño tends to increase precipitation along U.S. coastlines, but the Midwest and Northwest tend to see a decrease from the average. The frequency of precipitation tends to increase in comparison to average frequency. br br El Niño also tends to suppress hurricane activity in the Atlantic Ocean by causing higher wind shear which spreads storms out over a larger area.br br ----------------------------------------­---------------------br br Welcome to TomoNews, where we animate the most entertaining news on the internets. Come here for an animated look at viral headlines, US news, celebrity gossip, salacious scandals, dumb criminals and much more! Subscribe now for daily news animations that will knock your socks off.