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El Niño's worst is yet to come, with a peak likely in December
खबर में क्यों?
Why a warm Pacific can dry up Indian monsoon: the El Niño link GS1 Climatology tests
El Niño is set to intensify into December, raising heat and water-stress concerns.
Why it matters: general awareness
What you need to know
2 मिनट
Forecasters say the worst of the current El Niño is yet to come and that it is likely to peak in December.
El Niño is an abnormal warming of sea-surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific and is generally linked with a weaker Indian southwest monsoon and higher temperatures.
Telangana has already advised farmers to prefer crops needing less water in the rabi season.
स्रोत: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
मुख्य तथ्य
Remember these
- El Niño is an abnormal warming of sea-surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific.
- Forecasters say the current El Niño is likely to peak in December.
- El Niño is generally linked with a weaker Indian southwest monsoon and higher temperatures.
- Telangana has advised farmers to prefer crops needing less water in the rabi season.
- Rabi is the winter-sown crop season, dependent more on soil moisture and irrigation than on the monsoon itself.
प्रीलिम्स · मेन्स
How the exam will ask it
प्रीलिम्स
- El Niño involves abnormal warming of sea-surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean.
- El Niño years are generally associated with a weaker Indian southwest monsoon and higher temperatures.
- Rabi crops are sown in winter and harvested in spring, and depend heavily on soil moisture and irrigation.
मेन्स
GS1 Geography (Climatology) and GS3 (Environment, Agriculture). Issue: El Niño is set to peak in December, threatening a weaker monsoon, heat and water stress. Policy: states like Telangana are advising low-water crops for the rabi season. Implication: risk to reservoir storage, farm output and food prices. Way forward: crop diversification, efficient irrigation, early-warning advisories and contingency planning.
Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
Consider the following statements about El Niño:
- It involves abnormal warming of sea-surface waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific.
- It generally strengthens the Indian southwest monsoon.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
उत्तर देखें
उत्तर: A — Correct: 1 only — Statement 1 is correct, and statement 2 is wrong because El Niño is generally linked with a weaker Indian monsoon. • 2 only — wrong: Statement 2 is wrong: El Niño years are usually associated with deficient, not stronger, monsoon rainfall in India. • Both 1 and 2 — wrong: Statement 2 cannot be accepted, since El Niño generally weakens the southwest monsoon over India. • Neither 1 nor 2 — wrong: Statement 1 is accurate, because El Niño is defined by warming of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific.
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