Originally posted by Aegis:
<STRONG>Actually, I think it's El Nina now...

</STRONG>
Technically, it would be La nina. Let me explain...
El Nino (Little boy) is when SSTS off the 8-22S Parallel out to 150W are above median readings, causing weather phenomenon such as VERY hot and dry in the northeast USA but very cool and rainy in the southeast USA.
La Nina (Little Girl) is when SSTS in the same permiters are below median readings, causing opposite climatic transfer. It is a rare phenomena as opposed to the more common El Nino.
Usually in El Nino, activity in subtropical regions doubles or triples, usually resulting in massive incline of tropical cyclone occurrences (1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001 being examples) in the region east of the climatic transfer. In La Nina, it is the opposite (1997, only 7 named cyclones). More cyclones tend to form above 30ºN during La Nina, but in El Nino closer to the land mass area. Thus in English...
Warm water. Lots of hurricane.
Cold water. No hurricane.
Easy as V = 2(pi)rh + 2(pi)r².
cookies.