This program charts the birth and development of the weather system “El Niño,” so-called because it occurs at the time Christmas is celebrated. The most severe El Niño on record was first noticed in 1982. In Peru, the fishing water was 15 degrees above normal and the catch small; and in Australia, the worst drought in a century turned the continent into a giant dustbowl, with mini-tornadoes sucking away the topsoil. In February 1983, a giant dust storm darkened Melbourne; drought hit India; heavy seas and high tides pounded the western U.S.;  and hurricanes battered Polynesia. This program shows the ferocity of El Niño, relates it to the ocean waters, and traces the roots of humankind’s study of waves, ocean currents, and the interaction of sea and sky. (26 minutes)