New Delhi

The India Meteorological Department on Friday said that El Nino conditions have developed over the equatorial Pacific Ocean and are expected to intensify further during the ongoing southwest monsoon season.

According to the weather agency, the atmosphere has already begun responding to the warming of sea surface temperatures in the Pacific, indicating that the coupled ocean-atmosphere system now exhibits features associated with El Nino conditions.

"Forecasts from the Monsoon Mission Coupled Forecast System (MMCFS) indicate a further strengthening of El Nino conditions during the southwest monsoon season," the IMD said in a statement.

El Nino refers to the periodic warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. The phenomenon often influences global weather patterns and can affect rainfall distribution across several regions, including India.

The last occurrence of El Nino conditions was recorded in 2023. Since 2000, similar conditions have also developed in 2002, 2009, and 2015.

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Meteorologists closely monitor El Nino because stronger episodes have historically been associated with below-normal monsoon rainfall in parts of India, although the eventual impact depends on several interacting climate factors. The IMD is expected to continue tracking developments and issue updates as the monsoon progresses.