Why is it in the news?
→ IMD indicated possible El Niño occurrence after July with clarity expected in April.
Category: Geography
Important Points
- El Niño and La Niña are phases of the ENSO cycle.
- ENSO disrupts normal climatic conditions globally.
- El Niño represents a warm phase with the warming of the eastern tropical Pacific.
- Trade winds weaken and may reverse into westerlies during El Niño.
- Upwelling reduces under El Niño.
- La Niña is a cool phase with stronger trade winds and cooler SSTs.
- ENSO events occur every 2–7 years and last 9–12 months or longer.
- El Niño causes weak rainfall and higher heat in India.
- La Niña intensifies rainfall in South Asia, especially northwest India and Bangladesh.
- La Niña linked with floods in Australia; El Niño linked with drought in Indonesia and Australia.