Variation of summer monsoon rainfall over India in El-Ninos

Abstract

ABSTRACT. El Ninos which occurred during 1871-1990 are divided into two categories of events. The first category, EW, consists of the El Ninos in which the equatorial southeast (ESE) Pacific region (0-10° S; 80°W-180°W) experienced a Warn1ing phase as defined by suitable objective criteria, and the second category, E, consists of El Ninos in which the ESE Pacific region did not experience the warming phase. Sea surface temperature rise as well as anomaly over the Pacific region, summer monsoon rainfall over India and over its meteorological sub-divisions, in the categories EW and E are compared.

Area-averaged rainfall of India for the summer monsoon season and for each of the months July and September are significantly (at 0.1 percent level) lower in EW events in comparison to those in E events. The summer monsoon rainfall of each of the 12 sub-divisions, from northwest and central India constituting about 50 per cent of the Indian plains, is significantly lower in EW events than that in E events, the highest rainfall deficiency in EW events being in the westernmost sub-divisions, i.e., West Rajasthan and Saurashtra-Kutch. Possible causes for the same have also been discussed.