Super El Niño heats Pacific waters to record 2 °C, prompting a unique rainfall trend in Tamil Nadu

UPDATE - follow‑up to Tamil Nadu may encounter El Niño differently from rest of India: A ‘super’ El Niño this year has pushed sea‑surface temperatures off the coast of Peru and Ecuador up by about 2 °C, far above the typical 0.5 °C rise seen in ordinary events. The El Niño Southern Oscillation, which recurs every two to seven years, usually drives below‑average rainfall and higher drought risk across most of India. Yet Tamil Nadu is showing a strikingly different pattern, with rainfall behaviour that does not follow the national drought trend. The contrast suggests regional factors are altering how the global climate signal translates into local weather.

Context

While El Niño often means less rain for India, the unusual warmth this year appears to be interacting with local conditions in Tamil Nadu, leading to a distinct rainfall response that merits close monitoring.