El Nino Returns After 7 Years: Will Impact Second Half Of Monsoon

Zaheer Hussain
June 26, 2023
1830

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) declared that the Equatorial Pacific Ocean was firmly in the El Nino phase as the monsoon hit the Kerala coast. El Nino causes reduced rainfall in India during the monsoon season.

Why In The News?

As The Monsoon Hit The Kerala Coast, The US National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Declared That The Equatorial Pacific Ocean Was Firmly In The El Nino Phase. Over India, The El Nino Results In Suppressed Rainfall During The Monsoon Season.

What Is El Nino?

El Nino, Which In Spanish Means Little Boy, Refers To An Abnormal Warming Of The Sea Surface Waters In The Equatorial Pacific Ocean That Influences Weather Events Globally.
Depending On Its Strength, El Nino Can Cause A Range Of Impacts Such As Increasing The Risk Of Heavy Rainfall And Droughts In Certain Locations Around The World.

India’s Experience With El Nino:

In India, There Have Been 18 Drought Years Over 100 Years. Of These, 13 Years Were Associated With El Nino. Between 1900 And 1950, There Were 7 El Nino Years But In 1951-2021, There Were 15 El Nino Years. Of These, Nine Summer Monsoon Seasons Recorded Deficient Rain.

Current Scenario:

The Current El Nino Event Is The Fifth Since 2000.
The Sea Surface Waters In The Pacific Ocean Alternate Between A Warm And Cold Phase Every Two To Seven Years, With A Neutral Phase Thrown In Between.
This Fluctuating System Is Called El Nino Southern Oscillation, Or ENSO.
The Cold Phase, Or La Nina, Usually Has Opposite Impacts Compared To El Nino.
At The Start Of This Year, El Nino Was Predicted To Emerge In August. But Revised Predictions Suggested That It Would Form During The May-July Period. However, The Sudden Gain In Strength Of The El Nino Has Surpassed Expectations.
Sea Surface Temperatures Along The Equatorial Pacific Ocean, Especially Along The Various Nino Regions, Were Showing Signs Of Rapid Warming. Meteorologists Had Noted That Such Accelerated Rates Of Warming, Following Three Years Of La Nina That Ended In February This Year, Was Unusual.

El-Nino-Returns-After-7-Years-Will-Impact-Second-Half-Of-Monsoon Download