What can we expect from El Niño? Scientists say brace for the worst.

Climatologists, oceanographers and meteorologists gathered at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla this month, just steps from the Pacific Ocean, to discuss what the region can expect from possibly the worst El Niño ever recorded.

The University of California San Diego hosted the event to sound the alarm, yet again, about the weather pattern that warms ocean waters, increases sea levels and brings punishing rains that worsen coastal erosion.

El Niño is a naturally occurring phenomenon that repeats every few years. Powerful trade winds push warmer than normal Pacific Ocean currents toward the California coast. This year’s event is shaping up to be one of the strongest ever documented.

While in many ways the outlook is dire, the scientists said, there still could be weeks of sunshine in the months ahead. There is no way to know for certain whether the season’s rainfall will be beneficial or tragic.

El Niño only sets that stage and tilts the odds toward more extreme weather,” said Julie Kalansky, a climate scientist at Scripps.