{"id":87373,"date":"2026-10-26T18:14:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T12:44:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=87373"},"modified":"2026-10-26T18:14:52","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T12:44:52","slug":"godzilla-el-nino","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/26-10-2026\/godzilla-el-nino","title":{"rendered":"Godzilla\u2019 El Nino: Impact on India and the World"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/ Climatology<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has indicated that the developing El Ni\u00f1o event could intensify towards the end of 2026, with its effects potentially extending into 2027.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About El Ni\u00f1o<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>El Ni\u00f1o is the <strong>warming of seawater<\/strong> in the central-east Equatorial Pacific that occurs every few years.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>During El Ni\u00f1o, surface temperatures in the <strong>equatorial Pacific rise,<\/strong> and trade winds, east-west winds that blow near the Equator, weaken.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is one of the three phases of a large ocean-atmosphere interaction over the Pacific region that influences weather patterns worldwide.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This interaction is known as the<strong> El Ni\u00f1o Southern Oscillation, or ENSO.<\/strong> Its three phases are: <strong>warm (El Ni\u00f1o), neutral, and cool (La Ni\u00f1a).<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Godzilla El Ni\u00f1o<\/strong> is a term used to describe an exceptionally strong El Ni\u00f1o event associated with unusually high Pacific Ocean temperatures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"dddedb\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"920\" height=\"518\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-180.png\" alt=\"el nino\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-87374\" style=\"--dominant-color: #dddedb; aspect-ratio:1.7761332099907492;width:595px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-180.png 920w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-180-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/10\/image-180-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 920px) 100vw, 920px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How do scientists measure the strength of El Ni\u00f1o?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Sea-surface temperature anomalies:<\/strong> Scientists monitor sea-surface temperatures in specific regions of the equatorial Pacific, particularly the Ni\u00f1o 3.4 region, and compare them with long-term averages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Relative Oceanic Ni\u00f1o Index (RONI): <\/strong>It measures the temperature anomaly in the Ni\u00f1o 3.4 region relative to average tropical ocean warming.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If the average RONI over a three-month period exceeds a value of <strong>0.5 degrees Celsius<\/strong>, an El Ni\u00f1o is declared. An average RONI value <strong>less than -0.5 degrees Celsius<\/strong> leads to the declaration of La Ni\u00f1a.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Duration and atmospheric conditions: <\/strong>Scientists also assess whether the temperature anomalies persist over time and are accompanied by characteristic changes in atmospheric circulation.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The greater the positive temperature anomaly, the <strong>stronger the El Ni\u00f1o signal.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Impact on India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Weakening of the monsoon:<\/strong> El Ni\u00f1o can weaken the southwest monsoon, which contributes around <strong>70%<\/strong> of India&#8217;s annual rainfall.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>According to the supplied report, the <strong>2026 monsoon ended at 87%<\/strong> of the <strong>Long Period Average (LPA).<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Agricultural losses:<\/strong> Low rainfall and increased temperature reduce yields from crops, increase irrigation needs and impact agricultural production.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Water distress:<\/strong> Less rain and more evaporation deplete reservoirs and groundwater, reducing water for drinking and farming.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Food inflation:<\/strong> Lower crop output increases food prices, disproportionately affecting low-income households.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Warmer winter:<\/strong> Above-normal winter temperatures affect rabi crops, particularly wheat, by disrupting temperature-sensitive growth stages.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Global Impact<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>In the northern hemisphere<\/strong>, above-normal temperatures are likely over parts of southern Europe and Africa, the Arabian peninsula, the Indian subcontinent and eastern Asia.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Above-normal rainfall <\/strong>will likely affect the Arabian peninsula, central and east Asia, coastal Southeast Asia and North America.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>In the southern hemisphere<\/strong>, higher-than-normal temperatures are likely to sweep Africa, particularly the equatorial regions and the Greater Horn of Africa, along with South America and Australia.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Many parts of the southern hemisphere are <strong>expected to see weak rainfall,<\/strong> particularly over southern Africa, southern Central America and the Caribbean.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Ahead<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India should strengthen <strong>climate forecasting <\/strong>along with<strong> early warning systems.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Promote climate-resilient agriculture <\/strong>with water conservation techniques.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Incorporate green infrastructure <\/strong>and heat mitigation techniques into urban planning.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Public awareness <\/strong>of heat stress and disaster preparedness needs to be increased.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Concluding Remarks<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>An exceptionally strong El Ni\u00f1o could intensify existing climate and economic vulnerabilities, particularly in countries dependent on rainfall-based agriculture.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Strengthening climate-resilient farming, water management, early-warning systems and international cooperation will be essential to reduce its potential impact.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-climate\/super-el-nino-2026-impact-india-world-weather-monsoon-food-security-10934992\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>IE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has indicated that the developing El Ni\u00f1o event could intensify towards the end of 2026, with its effects potentially extending into 2027. <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> About El Ni\u00f1o <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> El Ni\u00f1o is the warming of seawater in the central-east Equatorial Pacific that occurs every few years.\u00a0 <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> During El Ni\u00f1o, surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific rise, and trade winds, east-west winds that blow near the Equator, weaken.\u00a0 <\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/26-10-2026\/godzilla-el-nino \" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-87373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87373","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87373"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87373\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87378,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87373\/revisions\/87378"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}