Atacama desert, Chile Atacama desert, flowering desert Atacama

The unfolding 2015-16 El Niño is one of the strongest events on record and contributed to the record-breaking wind intensity of Hurricane Patricia. In the United States, it is expected to bring needed rain to California and a warmer winter to the Midwest and Northeast. In Chile, this El Niño season has already brought heavy rain that has destroyed thousands of homes and killed many people. The heavy rain has also triggered the blossoming of desert wild flowers, a phenomenon that occurs every five to seven years. Due to the unprecedented power of this year’s El Niño, this year’s flowering display is particularly stunning.

Related: Three category 4 hurricanes developed simultaneously for the first time in recorded history

Atacama desert, Chile Atacama desert, flowering desert Atacama

The Atacama Desert is located along a 600-mile stretch of land west of the Andes mountains that also borders the Pacific Ocean. Parts of the desert are so uniquely dry and inhospitable that they have been used to emulate Mars, both in scientific research and film. Despite its challenges, the ecosystem is home to over 500 plant species and a diversity of wildlife. Flowering desert or “desierto forido,” is a phenomenon unique to the Chilean regions of the Atacama. The Chilean Atacama is expected to resume its usual barren state of affairs by the end of November. In the meantime, a blossoming rise in tourist activity is expected to aid in relief and reconstruction efforts as the region recovers from a brutal weather event.

Via MyModernMet

Images via EFE/Chilean National Tourism Service, NASA World Wind, and Valerio Pillar