)
El Nino - the warming of waters in the Pacific Ocean near South America - is associated with weaker monsoon winds and drier conditions in India
Above-normal minimum temperatures are expected in most parts of India in November, barring some areas in the northwest and west-central regions, amid strengthening El Nino conditions, the IMD said on Tuesday. At a press conference here, India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said rainfall over the country as a whole in November is most likely to be normal 77-123 per cent of the long-period average. Above-normal rainfall is likely over some areas of the southernmost parts of peninsular India, most parts of northwest India, and many parts of east-central, east and northeast India, he said. EI Nino conditions are prevailing over the Equatorial Pacific Ocean and positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) conditions are prevailing over the Indian Ocean. The latest global forecasts indicate that the El Nino conditions are likely to continue during the season and positive IOD conditions are likely to weaken during the coming months, the IMD said. Mohapatra, .
Every rice eater in the world has felt the pinch of India's export restrictions
The uptick in monsoon rains in September after a dry August and improvement in kharif acreage seem to be the immediate plausible reasons for the improvement
Monsoon rain this year was the lowest since 2018 due to the El Nino weather pattern
The four-month monsoon season has ended with India receiving "normal" rainfall -- 820 mm against a long-period average of 868.6 mm -- with positive factors countering the effect of El Nino conditions, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday. Rainfall between 94 per cent and 106 per cent of the long-period average (LPA) is considered normal. However, normal cumulative rainfall over the country during the monsoon season doesn't mean even spatial and temporal spread of precipitation. The Indian monsoon refers to inherent fluctuations and changes that occur over time due to various natural factors. This is called natural variability. Research, however, shows climate change is making the monsoon more variable. Increased variability means more extreme weather and dry spells. IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said with positive factors countering the effect of El Nino, the 2023 monsoon ended with 94.4 per cent cumulative rainfall, which is considered "normal".
Ahead of rabi sowing from next month, the Centre on Tuesday said it targets to bring 60 per cent of the total wheat area of 30 million hectare under the climate-resistant varieties amid strong El Nino conditions. Despite the challenges of climate change, the Union Agriculture Ministry has kept a target of achieving a record wheat output of 114 million tonne in the 2023-24 rabi season against the actual output of 112.74 million tonne in the year-ago period. Sowing of wheat, the main rabi (winter) crop, begins in October, while harvesting starts in March/April. Addressing a national conference held to chalk out a strategy for sowing rabi (winter) crops, Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja said: "There are certain changes in climate change, which is affecting agriculture. Our strategy is climate resilient seeds". Faced with a heatwave in 2021, the government encouraged farmers in 2022 to go for heat-tolerant wheat varieties in 47 per cent of the total wheat acreage of 30 million ...
Sugar cooperative NFCSF on Thursday junked rumours of likely sugar shortage in the country due to El Nino, saying domestic availability of the sweetener is not expected to be "adverse" in the 2023-24 season. Sugar season runs from October to September. The crushing operation of 2023-24 is yet to begin. The National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Ltd (NFCSF) in a statement said El Nino - which refers to warming of ocean surface - has impacted the drying flurry of monsoon in some parts of Maharashtra. "However, all other cane growing states i.e. Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Uttarakhand, have received above normal rains which has definitely helped the growth stage of standing cane to gain weight and sucrose content," NFCSF Managing Director Prakash Naiknavare said. He also observed that there is a "widespread rumour" in some sections about possible severe shortage of sugar during 2023-24 season. "The factual situati
The agriculture department is coordinating with the state's irrigation and energy departments to ensure optimum supply of water and electricity
Food inflation rose to a three and a half year high of 11.51 per cent in July this year, compared to 4.31 per cent in the previous month
What are OCCRP's allegations against Adani Group? Are Pratt & Whitney engines pulling India's airlines down? Will El-Nino spell trouble for agro-chemicals? What experiments will Vikram and Pragyan do?
IMD expects a monsoon revival from September 2 onwards, despite El Nino still being active
India is poised to experience the driest August since 1901 which, senior meteorologists say, is a clear result of intensifying El Nino conditions. Also, the monsoon this year may end up being the driest since 2015, which recorded a rainfall deficit of 13 per cent, they said. With a 32 per cent precipitation deficit in August so far and the prediction of only subdued rainfall activity over a large part of the country in the next three days, India is on track to record the driest August since 1901, an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said, requesting anonymity. August receives 254.9 mm of rainfall, accounting for around 30 per cent of the precipitation during the monsoon season. India recorded a rainfall deficit of 25 per cent in August 2005, 24.6 per cent in 1965; 24.4 per cent in 1920; 24.1 per cent in 2009 and 24 per cent deficit in 1913, according to the IMD data. IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the primary reason for below-normal rainfall in August was El Nino
Investors have shunned consumer stocks with shares of HUL, ITC, Britannia, Godrej Consumer, Tata Consumer, and Nestle India dropping in the range of 1-11 per cent in a month
Experts believe prolonged hot weather would keep the electricity demand pushing up. This would drive demand for coal
"What to do?" Chilean Environment Minister Maisa Rojas, who is also a physicist and climatologist, said in a series of Twitter posts. "We know the solution: stop burning fossil fuels urgently!
Powerful weather forces are combining to create the planet-wide conditions, and there's unlikely to be relief from the scorching temperatures anytime soon
Agriculture's role in the economy has reduced over the decades, easing impact of 'climatic shock'
Street remains cautious about the sector due to lower price realisations and fears about El Nino's impact on the monsoon
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted a normal rainfall in July at 94-106 per cent of the long-period average (LPA), cumulatively across India.