El Niño and monsoon: Tamil Nadu rainfall vs weak southwest monsoon in India
The El Niño Divergence General Indian Monsoon Impact: Across India, an El Niño phase is typically associated with deficient monsoon rainfall and a higher incidence of droughts. Tamil Nadu’s Contrasting Experience: In contrast, Tamil Nadu often records extreme rainfall and intense cyclonic activity during strong El Niño years, supercharging the Northeast Monsoon (October–December). Historical Precedent: During the strong El Niño of 2015, while mainland India saw a weak southwest monsoon, Chennai was hit by devastating floods—recording 1,522 mm of rainfall in just four days (December 1–4, 2015), over double the normal amount. Monitoring Initiatives Integrated Observational Networks: Combining satellite telemetry (sea surface temperature, trade winds, precipitation) with in-situ data from deep-water buoys, research vessels, and coastal radar systems builds a 3D model of ocean-atmosphere coupling. Project OceanEye: A joint initiative announced by the European Union and Canada at t