The India Meteorological Department confirmed Friday that El Niño conditions have emerged in the Pacific Ocean and are expected to intensify during the southwest monsoon season.
Forecasters project roughly a 10 percent rainfall deficit nationwide, with northwest India and the peninsular interior facing the highest drought probabilities.
El Niño warms equatorial waters, disrupting the Walker circulation that drives monsoon winds toward the subcontinent.
Agriculture ministries began advising states to prioritize drought-resistant seed stocks and micro-irrigation grants for vulnerable districts.
Reservoir managers in Maharashtra and Karnataka are pre-releasing water to create storage headroom if July rains falter.
Climate scientists caution that subseasonal variations can still produce localized floods even under El Niño’s broader drying signal.
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Sources:
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/imd-alert-el-nino-pacific-ocean-india-monsoon-deficit-10737926/