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Geography & Environment
4 articles
Understanding "El Niño Costero": An Explainer While the world often speaks of the "Global El Niño," Ecuador and Peru frequently deal with a more localized and often more intense phenomenon known as El Niño Costero (Coastal El Niño). Understanding this distinction is vital for residents of the Litoral and the Galápagos.
Series: Weather in Ecuador · Part 1
Read explainer →In the tug-of-war for Ecuador’s coastline, the Humboldt Current and El Niño are the lead players. But as we start 2026, a third character—La Niña—is currently holding the rope. Here is the breakdown of why this battle matters for your wallet and your weekend plans, along with the latest forecast for the year ahead.
Series: Weather in Ecuador · Part 1
Read explainer →“Ecuador’s coastal weather is strongly influenced by sea surface temperature. Small shifts in ocean warmth change humidity, cloud formation, and the odds of storms—especially during ENSO phases like La Niña.” (CPC) If you live on the Costa (especially places like Manabí, Santa Elena, Guayas, Esmeraldas), you’ve probably noticed this pattern: Some weeks feel sticky and stormy (even if it’s “not supposed to”). Other w…
Series: Weather in Ecuador · Part 5
Read explainer →Here we go — weather-nerd hat on. ☁️🌧️ 1. Why Ecuador’s weather feels “weird” compared to North America Ecuador sits right on the equator, squeezed between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes, with the Amazon basin to the east. That combination produces: Strong influence from ocean currents (Humboldt cold current and warm equatorial currents). A steep mountain wall that rises from sea level to >5,000 m in a short distan…
Series: Weather in Ecuador · Part 1
Read explainer →