Now scientists have discovered how to read the early signs of an El Nino to help save hundreds of human lives and thousands of livestock in East Africa from a mosquito-borne disease called Rift Valley fever.
Satellites provide synchronous measurements of ocean temperature and vegetation conditions.
There were large outbreaks every 7 to 10 years, but the virus apparently disappeared between outbreaks. Scientists found that some El Nino episodes over the past five decades resulted in large Rift Valley fever outbreaks. The deciding factor lies in whether the Indian Ocean warms up along with the Pacific. Scientists believe they can now predict episodes of Rift Valley Fever in East Africa six months in advance. El Nino and contains a superposition of sea surface temperature anomalies on anomalies of the sea surface elevation.