Context:
India is witnessing multiple climate-related extreme weather events during summer, including heat waves, humidity stress, and irregular rainfall patterns. Terms such as Western Disturbances, El Niño, La Niña, Wet Bulb Temperature and Heat Index have again become important in understanding India’s monsoon and extreme weather conditions.
- Western Disturbances are extra-tropical cyclones originating near the Mediterranean region and moving eastward with the subtropical westerly jet stream. They bring winter rainfall and snowfall to northwestern India and the Himalayas.
- El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomenon in the equatorial Pacific Ocean influencing global climate patterns.
- El Niño refers to abnormal warming of sea surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean, often weakening Indian monsoon rainfall and increasing drought and heat wave frequency in India.
- La Niña refers to abnormal cooling of Pacific Ocean waters, generally strengthening Indian monsoon rainfall and sometimes increasing floods.
- Neutral ENSO conditions occur when neither El Niño nor La Niña dominates the Pacific circulation.
- Thermocline is the transition layer separating warmer surface ocean water from colder deep water and plays an important role in ENSO dynamics.
- Heat Wave in India is declared by IMD based on departure from normal maximum temperature or when temperatures cross specific thresholds in plains and coastal areas.
- Wet Bulb Temperature measures combined effects of heat and humidity and indicates the lowest temperature achievable through evaporation. High wet bulb values are dangerous because the human body cannot cool efficiently through sweating.
- Heat Index or “feels like temperature” combines temperature and humidity to represent perceived human discomfort during extreme heat conditions.
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