1877–1878 El Niño event
Meteorological event
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The 1877–1878 El Niño event was likely the strongest El Niño on record. It contributed to widespread drought and famine in multiple countries, causing the death of more than 50 million people. Disasters associated with it include the Great Famine of 1876–1878 in India, the Grande Seca in Brazil, and the Northern Chinese Famine of 1876–1879.
Development and strength
Drought hitting many tropical and subtropical areas starting in 1875 and climatic events in the Indian and Atlantic oceans were related to the developing El Niño.[1][2] In North America, the winter was exceptionally mild and was known as the Year without a winter.[3][4][5][6]
The 1877-1878 event likely surpassed all modern El Niño events in intensity, although there is much uncertainty in the measurement, that prevents making that conclusion with certainty.[1][7][8]
Impact
The event led to a global famine that killed more than 50 million people, representing about 3-4 percent of the estimated global population, in Brazil, China, India, Africa, and other areas, including the Great Famine of 1876–1878 in India, the Grande Seca in Brazil, and the Northern Chinese Famine of 1876–1879.[2][1][9] According to Deepti Singh et al., it "was arguably the worst environmental disaster to ever befall humanity".[2][1][10] The impact was magnified by actions by colonialists and other socioeconomic and political issues in the 1870s.[7][11][12][9]