You know how we’ve been noticing less snow and rain since December 2023? Well, it seems this might lead to heat waves in March and April. And that’s not all – we might also see heavy rainfall in the pre-monsoon season over northwest India. This shift in climate could spell trouble for us.What worries is that this long dry spell could worsen our food security situation. We’re already dealing with a drop in Rabi crop production, Rice, and this weather change is adding to the challenges.
From January 1 to January 26, six states in northwest India didn’t get any rain. Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are the hardest hit, with a shocking 99% less rain than usual. Other states like Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh are also facing a big drop in rainfall, with deficits of 88% and 73%, respectively.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), this lack of rain is due to fewer western disturbances. These are the storms that usually bring winter snowfall to the mountains and rainfall to the lower regions. So, out of the 21 western disturbances between October 1 and January 23, only four have been active, leading to less post-monsoon rainfall than normal.
Now, why is all this happening?
It seems El Nino is playing a part. El Nino, that phase where the Pacific Ocean gets warmer than usual, is messing with our weather patterns. The IMD says the lack of rain and snow from December 2023 to January 2024 is directly due to El Nino.
The World Meteorological Organization declared in July 2023 that El Nino conditions were at their peak, which matches up with less rainfall and snowfall in India. The cold weather that was supposed to stay up north has now reached Mumbai, thanks to the warming of the Arabian Sea.
Disclaimer: This database content was originally posted on the Facebook wall of Wahid Bhat.
About the Author: Wahid Bhat an is Environment based Journalist .