India is bracing for the impact of La Niña this year, a weather phenomenon marked by an abnormal cooling of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. This pattern, the cold phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, triggers stronger easterly winds and significantly alters global weather. Typically, La Niña brings increased rainfall to regions like Australia and India while causing droughts elsewhere, and it boosts hurricane activity in the Atlantic.
Meteorologists warn that during La Niña conditions, India is likely to experience colder-than-average winters due to the unusually cool ocean temperatures. The US Climate Prediction Center announced a 71% probability of La Niña emerging from October to December, with expectations that it will conclude around February, similar to the brief event earlier this year.
La Niña episodes occur roughly every two to seven years, often cycling every three to five years. Unlike El Niño, which causes warmer ocean temperatures in the same Pacific region, La Niña is characterized by notably cooler waters.
