Following a large westerly wind burst in February 2014, buzz developed that a strong El Niño event would occur in the following winter. (usclivar.org)
After westerly wind bursts occurred in the spring of 2015, this extra warm water acted to give a head start to the developing El Niño and contributed to the strength of the 2015 - 16 El Niño event. (usclivar.org)
But then, in the spring of 2015, episodes of very strong westerly wind bursts occurred and became more frequent throughout the summer. (environmentalresearchweb.org)