El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO)

Top 24 Strongest El Niño and La Niña Event Years by Season

The values below were calculated using PSL's Extended Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI.ext) for 1895 to 2015.

Ranked El Niño Events by 3-Month Season

RankDJFJFMFMAMAMAMJMJJJJAJASASOSONONDNDJ
1 1983 1983 1983 1983 1983 1997 1997 1997 1997 1997 1997 1997
2 1998 1998 1998 1998 1992 1983 1987 1987 1987 1982 1982 1982
3 1973 1992 1992 1992 1998 1992 1972 1972 1972 1972 1972 1972
4 1931 1931 1931 1987 1987 1987 1983 1982 1982 1987 1902 1930
5 1992 1973 1987 1941 1941 1941 1905 1905 1905 1902 1930 1965
6 1966 1919 1941 1931 1993 1993 1982 1902 1965 1930 1987 1902
7 1919 1987 1926 1926 1900 1900 1902 1965 1902 1965 1941* 1991
8 1926 1941 1958 1993 1997 1905 1941 1957 1930 1941 1965* 1941
9 1958 2010 1919 1958 1958 1958 1992 1941 1941 1905 1925 1925
10 1897 1958 2010 1900 1940 1902 1957 1930 1957 1925 1994 1987
11 2010 1966 1973 1940 1931 1972 1965 1896 1896 1896 1905 1896
12 1987 1926 1900 1919 1915 1940 1958 1918 1925 1957 1896 1994
13 1942 1897 1993 1915 1926 1982 1940 1983 1914 1994 1986 1986
14 1988 1995 1966 1905 1905 1915 1993 1940 1918 1986 2006 1957
15 1941 1915 1897 2010 1919 1998 1900 1919 1951 2006 2009 2009
16 1995 1900 1940 1980 1980 1957 1919 1914 2009 1914 1957 2006
17 1915 2003 1905 1897 1930 1919 1930 1951 1986 2009 2002 1918
18 2003 1942 1915 1969 1969 1926 2009 1958 1963 1963 1991 2002
19 1903 1993 1969 1930 1902* 1930 1969 2009 1940 1976 1914 1914
20 1900 1988 1995 1966 1991* 1969 1932 1992 1976 2002 1918 1905
21 1906 1969 2003 1995 1982 1991 1915 1969 1899 1951 1963 1940
22 2007 1905 1980 1959 1932 2012 2012 1993 1919 1993 1993 1977
23 1978 1903 1942 1991 1994 1932 2014 1932 1994 1918 1976 1899
24 1980 1940 1903 1932 1995 2014 1991 2006 2006 1899 1977 1963

Ranked La Niña Events by 3-Month Season

RankDJFJFMFMAMAMAMJMJJJJAJASASOSONONDNDJ
1 1974 1974 1974 1971 1910 1910 1910 1916 1975 1975 1975 1975
2 1917 1917 1971 1910 1971 1955 1955 1975 1916 1955 1955 1955
3 1956 2011 1917 1974 1917 1971 1916 1910 2010 2010 1916 1916
4 1976 1956 1910 1917 1955 1917 1950 2010 1988 1916 2010 1973
5 2011 1976 2011 1956 1956 1956 1909 1955 1955 1988 1988 2010
6 1989 1971 1956 1950 1911 1950 1975 1909 1909 1973 1973 1988
7 1910 1910 1976 1955 1950 1911 1971 1988 1973 1909 1909 1909
8 1971 2008 2008 1976 1974 1909 1988 1950 1910 1910 1910 1910
9 1951 1989 1950 1989 1908 1975 1956* 1924 1950 1971 2007 1950
10 2000 2000 2000 2000 1989 1908 1917* 1973 1924 1950 1950 1917
11 1918 1951 1989 1999 1999 1916 1924 1938 1971 2007 1971 1942
12 2008 1904 1999 2011 1975 1938 1938 1964 1970 1964 1917 1999
13 1943 1934 1955 1911 1909 1964 1964 1970 1964 1970 1908 1970
14 1934 1999 1904 1908 2000 1989 2010 1971 1938 1917 1970 2007
15 1904 1950 1951 2008 1907 1974 1970 1917 1917 1924 1942 1908
16 1999 1918 1918 1916 1916 1924 1973 1956 1954 1933 1954 1933
17 1911 1943 1934 1975 1938 1999 1908 1954 1933 1954* 1964 1954
18 1950 1955 1939 1921 1921 1907 1974 1933 1942 1942* 1933 2011
19 1955 1939 1898 1904 1962 1962 1989 1942 2007 1908 1999 1998
20 1909 1911 1916 1907 1964 1988 1999 1908 1956 1906 1956 1903
21 2012 1985 1943 1909 1895 2000 1911 1967 1908 1956 1974 1974
22 1925 1909 1985 1898 1985 1921 1954 1974 1898 2011 2011 1949
23 1939 1895 1895 1985 1976 1967 1933 1999 1906 1999 1924 1956
24 1962 1925 1911 1895 1968 1933 1967 1898 1967 1938 1906 1924

* Tied Years