equatorial

During La Niña, unusually cold temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean typically send winter storms on more northerly tracks, leaving the southern U.S. warmer and drier.

Dr Klinger notes that space launches from equatorial regions – which may not require as much fuel – could mean that African space ports have an important role to play in the coming decades.

Buzza said the launches are important for the Starlink satellite broadband network SpaceX is building, since they put the satellites into a polar orbit, complementing Florida launches that put them in an equatorial orbit.

El Nino is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon that starts with unusually warm water in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific and then changes weather worldwide.

Weather across South America is affected by the El Niño climate phenomenon, a naturally occurring event that periodically warms surface waters in the equatorial Pacific.