El Nino

The developing climate pattern could intensify heat stress worldwide, adding pressure on health systems and vulnerable communities

Cumulative rainfall during the June to September monsoon season is 15% below the long-term average so far, according to the India Meteorological Department

Fuel and fertiliser disruptions from the Iran war, alongside El Niño-linked weather extremes, are threatening crops and could worsen food inflation across vulnerable Asian economies

Gross sugar production will range from 29 million tons to 31 million tons in the year through September 2027, according to estimates from 11 traders, analysts and millers

Food inflation could remain elevated through the festive season as uneven monsoon rains, kharif crop uncertainties, El Nino risks and higher global food prices put pressure on household budgets

The prevailing El Nino conditions over the equatorial Pacific are most likely to intensify into a very strong event in the coming months and persist through February 2027, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has said. It said this could have substantial impacts on rainfall and temperature patterns and the associated risks of floods, drought and extreme heat. In a statement on Thursday, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said, "El Nino in Spanish means boy child but it has the potential to deliver a massive blow to communities and economies across the world. "We are already seeing disruption and devastation from droughts and floods, and we expect these impacts to increase as El Nino intensifies." The WMO projections came just days after the India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its forecast for September, said that El Nino conditions could persist till February next year. El Nino is one of the three phases of El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) a climate phenomenon .

"If this trajectory continues, it may ​be stronger than anything since our monitoring began. So literally off the charts," WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo told a Geneva press conference.

Finance ministry says domestic demand remains resilient, but an intensifying El Nino and weather-related risks warrant caution on food inflation and agricultural output

A new study suggests that El Ninos - the natural climatic chaos agent that pops up periodically and spikes global temperatures - are getting stronger because of human-caused climate change. El Ninos are more than 36% stronger than they were before the industrial age began in the mid 1800s, with a 16% jump in just the last 40 years showing that the increase is accelerating, according to a study in Thursday's journal Science. The findings come as a strong El Nino that formed a couple months ago is forecast to be the biggest on record in coming months. El Ninos, which are a temporary warming of parts of the equatorial Pacific, warp weather worldwide and increase extreme events, including heat waves, floods in some places and droughts in others. They can cost trillions in damage. "That's important because strong El Ninos have much stronger impacts on climate hazards and extremes worldwide. When we set out to answer the question of why this might be happening, we set our data up against

El Nino brings powerful consequences for the globe, drying out some regions, like Western and Southern Africa, Australia and India, while potentially raising rainfall in others, such as southern US

India's power demand is expected to rise 6.5-7.5 per cent this fiscal to 1,825-1,835 BU, driven by an expected increase in cooling demand due to higher temperatures and lower rainfall

A weak monsoon and El Nino could hurt rural incomes and repayments, prompting major NBFCs to tighten portfolio monitoring and underwriting in vulnerable segments

El Nino could intensify through October, threatening India's monsoon and farm sector, while a positive Indian Ocean Dipole may partly offset its impact

Asia-Pacific economies, like India, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines, are seeing a surge in prices, with households remaining highly vulnerable to further weather-related supply shocks, including those triggered by the El Nino, S&P Global Ratings has said. S&P said the effects of the El Nino period starting in 2026 will reach Asia-Pacific mainly through weaker rainfall and climate disruption, and the macroeconomic impact is likely to be manageable. Key transmission channels include reduced agricultural output, higher food inflation, diminished hydropower generation, and vegetation fires and haze. S&P said many economies have expanded food buffer stocks, improved import planning and strengthened market management mechanisms to cushion supply disruptions. At the same time, investments in reservoir management, irrigation infrastructure and water governance have strengthened resilience to periods of reduced rainfall. "In India, strong food and grain buffers for affected .

For Indian markets, the bigger issue over the next few months, analysts said, isn't the repo rate, but how much more geopolitical pressure the rupee can take before the central bank has to step in.

Change of guard in some states and evolving El Niño dynamics are triggering fresh actions on raging water-sharing disputes in several states, Hemant Kumar Rout and Shine Jacob report

As El Nino raises concerns over rising electricity demand, the Centre says India has adequate power, sufficient coal stocks and a roadmap to keep electricity supplies stable

Weak monsoon and delayed kharif sowing may have pushed rural women's unemployment to a one-year high in June despite higher labour force participation

India's peak power demand surged last week to nearly 270.1 gigawatts (GW), ‌driven by higher cooling demand as an El Nino pattern contributed to weaker rainfall

This year's monsoon opened with India's fifth-driest June on record and rainfall almost 40% below normal levels, followed by a sudden deluge early this month