https://phys.org/news/2018-07-blueprint-el-nino-diversity.html

El Niño events are characterized by an unusual warming of the central to eastern equatorial Pacific, which can last up to one year. Many events subsequently transition to a La Niña (cold) state, with a typical duration of one to two years. El Niño events, which tend to peak in boreal winter, typically lead to a drying of Southeastern Asia and the Western tropical Pacific while enhancing rainfall near the eastern Pacific shores in countries such as Ecuador and Peru. El Niño's remote "ripple effects" can not only be found in the atmosphere, but also in ocean currents, ecosystems, the occurrence of natural disasters, global markets and national economies.

Climate scientists have long recognized that not every El Niño is alike. Some are weak, others are strong. Some occur in the central Pacific, others in the east. These differences will determine which areas will be hit hardest by climatic extremes and which ones will be spared. Accurately predicting El Niño events requires a deeper understanding of its diversity or as some scientists call it—its "flavors."