Topic3 stories
El Niño
Every story on El Niño in the news so far, newest first, with the key Prelims facts and the previous-year questions UPSC has asked on it.
In the news
- Monsoon 2026 ends 12.6% below normal, India's weakest season since 2015 1 October 2026 · The Hindu
A dry June, a strong El Niño and a late rally: how did India end up with a 'deficient' monsoon?
- El Niño, heat deaths and why parched Maharashtra cannot declare drought yet 24 September 2026 · Indian Express
Crops are wilting, but the drought manual says wait. Why?
- India records its hottest August since 1901; IMD forecasts below-normal September rain 1 September 2026 · The Hindu
A record-hot August, a 14% rain deficit and a strong El Niño: how bad can September get?
Key facts
- The 2026 southwest monsoon gave 759.4 mm against an LPA of 868.6 mm: 87% of the LPA, a 12.6% deficit, the weakest since 2015. (1 October 2026)
- IMD calls all-India seasonal rain below 90% of the LPA 'deficient'; 96% to 104% is 'normal'. (1 October 2026)
- El Niño is the warming of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific; it usually weakens the Indian monsoon. (24 September 2026)
- A positive Indian Ocean Dipole can partly offset El Niño's effect on the monsoon. (24 September 2026)
- August 2026 was India's warmest August since 1901, with a mean temperature of 28.01°C against a normal of 27.34°C. (1 September 2026)
- August rainfall was 213.3 mm, 16.3% below normal; the season deficit to end-August was about 14%. (1 September 2026)
Previous-year questions
- 2017 · GS1 · 15 marks What characteristics can be assigned to monsoon climate that succeeds in feeding more than 50 percent of the world population residing in Monsoon Asia?
- 2015 · GS1 · 12.5 marks How far do you agree that the behaviour of the Indian monsoon has been changing due to humanising landscape? Discuss.
- 2014 · GS3 · 12.5 marks Drought has been recognised as a disaster in view of its spatial expanse, temporal duration, slow onset and lasting effect on various vulnerable sections. With a focus on the September 2010 guidelines from the National…
- 2014 · GS1 · 10 marks Most of the unusual climatic happenings are explained as an outcome of the El-Nino effect. Do you agree?
- 2017 · Prelims With reference to 'Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)' sometimes mentioned in the news while forecasting Indian monsoon, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. IOD phenomenon is characterised by a difference in…