Huge patch of the Atlantic Ocean is cooling at a record speed - and scientists have no idea why

From unexplored trenches to the Bermuda Triangle, the world's oceans are filled with unsolved mysteries. In June, a large area of the central equatorial Atlantic unexpectedly hit temperatures well below the average for this time of year without any obvious cause Water temperatures have now begun to rise back toward the usual levels but scientists have been left baffled by what caused the sudden cooling in the first place. In a normal year strong winds over the equator blow away the warm surface water and allow colder water to upwell from below What makes this year so unusual is that the winds over the cold region are actually weaker than normal, a condition normally associated with warmer temperatures However, the winds in the rapidly cooling region were actually weaker this year than normal - usually a sign that warmer waters are on their way. The anomalously rapid cooling followed the hottest warm weather event since 1982 as temperatures hit 30°C The concern is that this cooling event may evolve into an Atlantic Niña event, which is defined by three months of cooler-than-average temperatures Just like their more well-known cousins, the Pacific El Niño and La Niña, Atlantic Niña/Niño are the intense peaks and troughs of ocean warming and cooling cycles. If this cooling event persists long enough to trigger a full Atlantic Niña, the colder waters might be able to limit the heightened hurricane activity predicted this year.