The nutrient-rich waters feed numerous fish off the coast of Peru and help to support the fishing industry of the area. The trade winds die down. The normal east to west movement of the Pacific waters reverses. The warm water of the western Pacific slowly migrates eastward and arrives on the west coast of South America around Christmas. Heavy rains drench western South America and the western typically arid parts of North America experience greater than average rainfall.
Droughts occur in Indonesia, Australia, and Africa.