El Nino may overstay, impact monsoon: Meteorological Department

Average maximum temperatures over parts of Central and northwest India are expected to be up to 1 degree Celsius over the normal over the next three months, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said.

The weather office has also established the development of rain busting El Nino over the Pacific Ocean, which will persist till June this year. The persistence of the phenomenon could negatively impact the June to September southwest monsoon season which delivers 70% of the country's annual rainfall.

The seasoned averaged maximum temperatures are likely to be warmer than normal by 0.5-1 degree Celsius over Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, West and East Uttar Pradesh, West and east Rajasthan, west and east Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Gujarat, Madhya Maharashtra, Vidharbha, Marathawada, Coastal Karnataka, North Interior Karnataka, Rayalaseema and Telangana.


IMD said that above normal heat wave conditions are also likely in the core heat wave zone during April to June. “There is about 44% probability of maximum temperatures in the core heat wave zone during April to June to be above normal,” the weather office said in a seasonal forecast issued on Monday.