The sea surface temperature (SST) data for low latitudes in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans for 1950--1996 (47 years) showed different seasonal variation patterns at different longitudes. When the seasonal patterns were subtracted from the monthly values, the deseasoned residuals showed considerable anomalies (interannual variability). In the Pacific the main features were the El Ni¿o events. In the Atlantic, North and South Atlantic SST showed dissimilar anomalies, and these did not have any fixed lag or lead relationships with the Pacific events. The same was true for the low-latitude Indian Ocean SST. The correlation of Pacific SST with Atlantic or Indian Oceans' SST was less than ~0.65, yielding a common variance (square of the correlation) of less than ~40%. Thus, whereas SST anomalies might have some common origin, the manifestation of SST anomalies at different longitudes was erratic, with no preference for any longitude to start with, nor any definite sequence of occurrence in the Pacific relative to the Atlantic or Indian Oceans. A spectral analysis showed that all regions had quasi-biennial, quasi-triennial, and higher periodicities, but the exact values of these periodicities differed significantly at different longitudes. All parameters had long-term trends. These were mostly nonuniform, almost negligible in the first half (1950--1973) and mostly upward in the second half (1973--1996), indicating warming in recent decades, which is also reflected in decreases in snow cover area in the Northern Hemisphere. Rainfalls in various regions are considerably influenced by local SST regimes. For northeast Brazil, Atlantic SST influence is overpowering and often operates independently of the Pacific SST (El Ni¿os). Hence the emphasis given in mass media (press, radio, and television) to the role of El Ni¿o events only in influencing the rainfalls may turn out to be misleading, as seems to have happened for the 1997 El Ni¿o. This El Ni¿o started in early 1997 but did not have any significant influence on rainfall in northeast Brazil and India. It continued strongly in 1998, causing a severe drought in northeast Brazil but no drought in India. ¿ 2000 American Geophysical Union