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Photo-Illustration: JUAN GAERTNER/Getty Images Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Comment Loader Save Story Save this story El Niño looks to reach an intensity unprecedented in recorded history. Characterized by warmer than normal sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, El Niño occurs every few years. Meteorological agencies and researchers around the world are on high alert because when the heat stored in the ocean is released into the atmosphere, it triggers a chain reaction that affects rainfall, temperatures, and even hurricane activity around the world.

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