The warming trajectory of sea surface temperatures in the El Niño region along the equator has been "remarkable," developing faster than the 1997-98 El Niño, Hausfather wrote in the earlier post. That will influence what El Niño actually means on the ground in the U.S. and across the world, Swain said. (Sean Ramsey) Construction crews try to repair a road destroyed by flooding due to El Niño on May 5, 1998. Advertisement AdvertisementIn the U.S., a strong El Niño means "a pretty robust increase in the jet stream," Swain said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Mind-blowing' El Niño stuns scientists.