El Niño is a Peruvian hot air current which returns every ten years to ravage the country, causing tidal waves, rainstorms and the disappearance of fish. It has recently reappeared off the Peruvian coastline, and has made a devastating impact at Chimbote, Peru’s largest port. By warming the seas, it has made fish seek out cooler water, hence robbing the fishing industry of its raw material. Even more serious is the increase in cholera cases - it was in Chimbote that the terrible epidemic began in 1991: 350 000 ill and 4 000 dead.