Global data sets of total column precipitable water and cloud cover derived from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) are analyzed with respect to anomalies induced by the strong El Ni¿o 1997/1998. In contrast to other satellite observations of water vapor, the GOME nadir observations in the visible spectral range are of similar sensitivity over both land and ocean. In addition, they are sensitive in particular to the water vapor concentration close to the surface where a major fraction of the water vapor column is present. Information on the atmospheric cloud cover was derived from the observed broadband intensity as well as the oxygen (O2) absorption. While the first quantity is mainly a measure of geometrical cloud fraction, the latter also yields information on the cloud altitude. We investigated the time series of monthly mean values as well as anomalies calculated for a 6-month period during the El Ni¿o 1997/1998. For all three quantities we found strong anomalies over large areas and for extended periods. Especially for the total column precipitable water, significant anomalies were found even in mid and high latitudes indicating substantial changes in the hydrological cycle and the global circulation patterns.