Abnormally warm ocean climate conditions, which in some years affect the west coast of Latin America (centered on Peru) often around Christmas time. The anomaly is accompanied by dramatic changes in coastal upwelling, species abundance and distribution, higher local rainfall and flooding, and massive deaths of fish and their predators (including birds). Many other climatic anomalies around the world (e.g. droughts, floods, forest fires,) are attributed to consequences of El Niño.