Five ways El Niño is wreaking havoc in South America. Amazon river dolphins are dying en masse due to El Niño-related heat waves.
A plant called Frailejón grows high in the Colombian Andes. El Niño got its name in Peru, where, it is said, fishermen noticed the weather pattern around Christmas time and called it “el niño de la navidad” (“the Christmas child”) The current El Niño. is being blamed for a massive increase in dengue cases in Peru.