Q: During El Niño events, what happens to the trade winds in the tropical Pacific?

Arab Weather - During El Niño events, trade winds weaken or may reverse direction in the tropical Pacific Ocean. Typically, trade winds blow from east to west across the Pacific Ocean, pushing warm surface water toward the western Pacific Ocean near Australia and Indonesia, allowing cold water to rise from the depths to the ocean surface in the eastern part.

But during El Niño, these winds weaken or stop, and can sometimes start moving from west to east. This change allows warm water to spread eastward toward the coast of South America, leading to significant changes in temperatures and weather patterns around the world.