El Niño, Indian Ocean Dipole and India’s rainfall risk
Quick dive
- Weather agencies were tracking a possible super El Niño after Pacific waters near Peru and Ecuador became about 2°C warmer than average against a typical threshold near 0.5°C.
- El Niño–Southern Oscillation recurs every two to seven years and has historically coincided with deficient Indian rainfall and more droughts on average.
- The issue notes that Tamil Nadu can show a different rainfall pattern from much of India during El Niño conditions.
- The Indian Ocean Dipole involves contrasting western and eastern equatorial Indian Ocean temperatures; a positive IOD warms the western ocean near Africa relative to the eastern ocean near Indonesia.
- exam_relevance: tests the exact Pacific warming threshold, ENSO periodicity, regional monsoon asymmetry and positive-IOD temperature pattern—specific climate mechanisms frequently used in UPSC prelims statements.
Full explanation
This explanation is available with full current-affairs access.
Log in to continue