India braces for drought as El Nino threatens monsoon rains
Key takeaways
- Officials and farmers in India are preparing for what meteorologists say could be the driest monsoon season in a decade.
- El Nino happens when sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean become unusually warm, altering rainfall patterns and weather systems across large parts of the world, including India.
- This year, a very strong El Nino is forecast, which has historically been associated with weaker monsoon rains in India.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Officials and farmers in India are preparing for what meteorologists say could be the driest monsoon season in a decade.
https://p.dw.com/p/5G2T0An Indian farmer inspects a destroyed sugar crop after monsoon rains failed in 2016Image: Manish Swarup/AP Photo/picture alliance Advertisement Gurpreet Singh, a paddy farmer in India's northern Punjab state, is among millions of farmers anxiously watching the progress of India's monsoon season, with this year's El Nino raising concerns for agriculture, food prices and water security.
El Nino happens when sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean become unusually warm, altering rainfall patterns and weather systems across large parts of the world, including India.