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Source: The post is based on the article “What is El Nino and how it impacts the monsoon” published in The Hindu on 13th June 2023
What is the News?
Any discussion on the Indian monsoon these days invariably has references to the El Nino phenomenon.
What is El Nino?
How does El Nino impact the Monsoon?
El Niño refers to the warming of the ocean surface, specifically the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, which leads to above-average sea surface temperatures.
This warming effect influences atmospheric patterns, causing changes in weather systems and circulation.
In the case of India, El Niño has been associated with a weakening of the monsoon circulation, resulting in a reduction in rainfall during the monsoon season.
Historically, India has experienced below-average rainfall during most El Niño years. This can have significant consequences for the country’s agricultural sector and water resources. Insufficient rainfall can lead to drought conditions, impacting crop production and necessitating restrictions on food grain exports.
Note: The El Nino conditions this year follow three consecutive La Nina years. La Nina, which is the opposite of El Nino, typically brings good rainfall during the monsoon season.
About El Nino and Climate Change
In general, El Nino has a warming effect on the planet, while La Nina tends to cool it down. The warmest years in a decade are usually the El Nino years.
The warmest-ever year on record, 2016, was part of one of the longest and strongest El Nino episodes ever, dubbed the Godzilla El Nino.
El Nino thus accentuates the global warming phenomenon, and contributes to climate change.
