The objective of this study was to investigate the correlation between ENSO and the maximum annual and daily precipitation over the State of Goiás, from 1977 to 2006, using data from National Weather Service of the United States (NOAA). Scatter plots were made by statistical calculations to delineate the influence of El (La) Niño (a) events on maximum daily rainfall over Goiás using the monthly series, from 88 gauge stations with 30 years of data and 26 stations with 20 to 29 years of data. The most intense phase of La Niña, for the period 1977 to 2006, recorded an ocean temperature decrease equivalent to 1.9ºC in 1988, resulting in a maximum daily rainfall of 59.6 mm in Goiás The episode of the most intense El Niño during the series occurred in the year 1997 (Pacific ocean temperature increased 2.5ºC) and caused a maximum daily rainfall of 68.1 mm. It is concluded from this study that the highest and lowest maximum daily precipitation recorded for the State of Goiás, in the period 1977 to 2006, were 461.3 mm (1997) and 360.3 mm (2003), respectively, and occurred in years of moderate El Nino (1.3ºC) and weak (0.5ºC) El Niño.
Maximum Daily Rainfall; temperature of the Pacific Ocean; ENSO
