In the 1600s, Peruvian fishermen noticed something odd. The sea water turned warmer and their catch of fish dwindled to. This affected their livelihood, but they didn't really know what was happening or why. Because it occurred typically around Christmas time, people in the region called this phenomenon El Nino. It took another 300 years before scientists explained to us what was really going on. Now while we only spoke about Peru so far, El Nino affects everyone. How geographically distinct areas are affected by a singular weather pattern. This includes India.