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How Climate Change is Reshaping India's Monsoon and Food Security How climate change is reshaping India’s monsoon DoLiks, Pexels For centuries, the Indian monsoon has shaped the rhythm of life across the subcontinent. Its arrival has guided sowing seasons, replenished rivers, cooled overheated cities, and sustained one of the world’s largest agrarian economies. Entire systems of farming, water storage, food production, and public planning evolved around the expectation that the rains would arrive with a certain degree of predictability. But that certainty is beginning to disappear. A growing body of scientific evidence now suggests that the monsoon is becoming increasingly unstable. Delayed onset, erratic progression, false starts, prolonged dry spells, and sudden bursts of extreme rainfall are emerging as defining features of India’s changing climate. The consequences extend far beyond weather forecasts. They affect crop cycles, groundwater recharge, hydropower generation, urban flooding, food prices, and the livelihoods of millions. The danger is no longer simply too little rain or too much rain. It is the collapse of timing itself. And for a country built around the seasona…

'India is currently experiencing a profound meteorological dichotomy: a massive sluggishness in the advancement of the monsoon leading to widespread drought-like conditions, paired with localised cloudbursts that have triggered devastating floods.' www.ndtv.com/india-news/t...

What are cloudbursts and is climate change making them more … FILE - An elderly Kashmiri man walks on a road damaged by flash floods after a cloudburst on the outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, July 22, 2023. Such intense rainfall events, especially when more than 10 centimeters (3.94 inches) of rainfall occurs within a 10 square kilometers (3.86 square miles) region within an hour are called cloudbursts and have potential to wreak havoc, causing intense flooding and landslides that affect thousands in mountain regions. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin, File) FILE - Aslam Phamda, a Kashmiri villager, inspect the damage to his crop caused by flash floods after a cloudburst on the outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Saturday, July 22, 2023.Such intense rainfall events, especially when more than 10 centimeters (3.94 inches) of rainfall occurs within a 10 square kilometers (3.86 square miles) region within an hour are called cloudbursts and have potential to wreak havoc, causing intense flooding and landslides that affect thousands in mountain regions. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin, File) FILE - A Kashmiri woman pulls herself out of the mud as her relatives inspect damage made…

June 2026 set to be fifth driest-ever since 1901; monsoon advance over ... All Articles Geography Indian Express 29 June 2026 June 2026 set to be fifth driest-ever since 1901; monsoon advance over north delayed to early July Practice PYQs on this topic 500+ questions on Geography with explanations Open App 📌 Summary : With a 43%+ rainfall deficit, June 2026 is set to be the fifth driest-ever since 1901; India recorded only 85.2 mm against the long-period average of 165.3 mm June rainfall has been below 100 mm only four times since 1901 (1905, 1926, 2009, 2014); the driest was 2009 (87.5 mm) The large deficit may force a reassessment of IMD's seasonal forecast (it had predicted 92% for June, 90% for the four-month season); El Nino is strengthening but yet to peak Three of the four sub-100 mm June years (1926, 2009, 2014) were El Nino years; but in 1926 the season still ended 11% above normal, showing June deficits need not doom the season Causes of subdued June rain: weak monsoonal winds; stalled progress June 8-15 (onset over Kerala on June 4); unfavourable Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) phase; dry northerly winds dominating Crucially, late-May/June saw NO low-pressure systems or…

Deadly Asian floods are a preview of what's coming as climate warms ... This aerial photo taken using drone shows a village affected by a flash flood in Batang Toru, North Sumatra, Indonesia, on Dec. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara, File) Cars and houses are submerged in floodwaters in Songkhla province, southern Thailand, on Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Arnun Chonmahatrakool, File) Men swim despite strong waves due to Typhoon Fung-wong along a coastal village on Nov. 10, 2025, in Navotas, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File) People watch rough waves caused by Typhoon Kalmaegi in Khanh Hoa, Vietnam, on Nov. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Hau Dinh, File) People wade through floodwaters in Songkhla province, southern Thailand, on Nov. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Sarot Meksophawannakul, File) HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Southeast Asia is being pummeled by unusually severe floods this year, as late-arriving storms and relentless rains wreak havoc that has caught many places off guard. Deaths have topped 1,400 across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, with more than 1,000 still missing in floods and landslides. InIndonesia, entire villages remain cut offafter bridges and roads were swept away. Thousa…

An event based analysis of extreme rainfall and historical trend ... - Nature Download PDF Subjects Climate sciences Environmental impact Environmental sciences Hydrology Natural hazards Abstract Floods are a recurring natural hazard in India, and their frequency and severity are escalating due to the compounded effects of climate change and anthropogenic pressures. This study investigates the catastrophic flooding that occurred in the southern Tamil Nadu districts of Kanyakumari, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli, and Thoothukudi in December 2023, triggered by extreme rainfall associated with Cyclone Michaung. Analysis of long-term rainfall data from 1901 to 2023 reveals a significant increase in rainfall variability, seasonality, and the frequency of extreme events, particularly during the October–December northeast monsoon period. The rainfall recorded on December 17, 2023, exceeded the 100-year return period in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi, and the 50-year return period in Kanyakumari and Tenkasi indicating a statistically rare and hydrologically severe event. Seasonality indices (PCI, PCD, SI) and onset–withdrawal trends further highlight a shift toward concentrated, high-intensity rainfal…

India's monsoon deluge: How droughts triggered by El Nino make ... There is a particular cruelty to the way drought and flood arrive together in India. El Nino has been declared, and India's farmers are bracing for a shock. The warming Pacific has weakened the monsoon before, and the IMD says it will likely strengthen as the rains advance. The rain has not come for weeks. The Sun bakes the Earth until it cracks. Farmers scan cloudless skies. Officials flag districts. And then, without warning, the sky opens in a single, violent hour and the water, instead of soaking into the ground, runs off a surface as hard as a road, flattening everything in its path. This is not a paradox. This is physics.El Nino has been declared, and India's farmers are bracing for a shock. The warming Pacific has weakened the monsoon before, and the IMD says it will likely strengthen as the rains advance. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has flagged 197 districts across India as highly vulnerable to El Nino this season. The national rainfall forecast sits at 90 per cent of the Long Period Average, or LPA. The LPA is simply the average rainfall India receives over a 50-year baseline per…

Monsoon Recovery To Boost Kharif Sowing As Rainfall Activity Picks Up ... The improved monsoon momentum in July is likely to boost the recovery of kharif sowing as per a latest report by ICICI Bank. The report also highlights how India's combined rainfall up to 6 July 2026 was at 170.7 mm, 20 percent below the long period average (LPA) and even as rainfall distribution remains uneven, activity has improved in recent weeks. While East and Northeast India are still seeing a significant deficit of 41 percent below LPA, rainfall has improved in Northwest India (19 percent below LPA), South India (15 percent above LPA), and Central India (5 percent below LPA). As per the study, Haryana and Punjab have received less rainfall along with Gujarat and Karnataka. Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan witnessed normal rainfall as per the latest report. However, Tamil Nadu recorded excess rainfall and at the sub-division level, 17 of 36 sub-divisions recorded deficient rainfall, 16 received normal rainfall, and three experienced excess precipitation. However, despite the existing deficits, monsoon activity has strength…

Climate change makes South Asia’s monsoon season more dangerous … Army soldiers and rescuers evacuate patients and medical staff from a flooded hospital following landslides and flash flooding amid monsoon season in Imphal, India, June 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Donald Sairem, File) BENGALURU, India (AP) — Each year from June to September, a series of heavy rains known asmonsoonssweep through the Indian subcontinent, providing relief from heat, irrigating the country’s farms and replenishing its rivers. However, as global heat increases, the rain is becoming more erratic and intense, creating the conditions for deadly floods. Nearly 1,300 people died in India throughout 2024 due to heavy rain and floods. Hundreds ofrain-related deathshave already occurred this year in the South Asian region, which includes India,Pakistan,Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Maldives andNepal. Climateexperts say the high temperatures and heavy rain are also contributing to the melting of glaciers in the mountainous Himalayan region, causing catastrophic flooding and landslides. Monsoon clouds gather over New Delhi’s skyline, India, June 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File) The South Asian r…

Global Tipping Points | 1.4.2.3 Monsoons Monsoon circulations are large-scale seasonal changes in the direction and strength of prevailing winds driven by insolation (incoming solar radiation) and local temperature differences between land and ocean. Their dynamics are strongly influenced by the seasonal migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), the regional band in the tropics where the trade winds from the northern and southern hemisphere converge and rise as part of the tropical atmospheric overturning circulation (seeFigure 1.4.1). The term ‘monsoon’ was historically associated with summer precipitation over South Asia; however, monsoon systems affect other parts of the globe such as East Asia, Africa, Australia and the Americas. Historically, monsoons were seen as large-scale sea breeze circulations driven by land-sea heating differences due to seasonal changes in incoming solar radiation (Figure 1.4.9). Currently, a perspective of a global monsoon has emerged (Trenberth et al., 2000;Wang & Ding, 2008), where the monsoon systems are seen as interconnected and driven by localised seasonal and more extreme migrations of the ITCZ (Gadgil, 2018;Geen et al., 2020, a…

Increasing drought and flood are part of the new hydrological cycle associated with man made #ClimateChange and resulting #ClimateEmergency. The following seems a part. Robbie Andrew: “India was dry in June, with 39.8% less rain than normal. That's the fifth-lowest since records begin in 1901.”

What are cloudbursts and why might a warming world make them … Storms The Middle East Asia Climate change See all topics Facebook Tweet Email Link Threads Link Copied! Follow Sudden and intense bursts of extreme rainfall are causing devastation across mountainous parts of South Asia, triggering flash floods, deadly mudflows and huge landslides that have washed out entire neighbourhoods and turned vibrant communities into heaps of mud and rubble . In northwest Pakistan, ferocious floods have crashed through villages, killing at least 321 people in the space of 48 hours, local authorities reported Saturday. More than ten villages in the Buner region of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province were devastated by flash flooding, and dozens of people are believed to still be trapped under the thick mud and debris. In India-administered Kashmir, at least 60 people were killed and more than 200 were missing when walls of mud and water gushed through the Himalayan town of Chashoti on Friday, according to Reuters news agency. Earlier this month, another surge of flood wate r tore through a village in India’s mountainous Uttarakhand state, leaving at least four people dead. In pictures: Pakistan's d…

Long Term Assessment of Southwest Monsoon Drought Events at Taluka ... Outline Download Free PDF 2021, MAUSAM … 8 pages AI This research assesses the long-term drought events during the Southwest Monsoon at the Taluka levels in Gulbarga District, Karnataka. It emphasizes the complex nature of droughts influenced by meteorological factors, particularly erratic rainfall patterns, and highlights the increasing severity of droughts in the region due to ongoing climatic variations. The study aims to provide a detailed analysis of drought occurrences to inform better agricultural planning and resource management in the affected areas. Meteorological drought is a big disaster for any type planning of agriculture in India. By the analysis of 60 years rainfall data of Solapur district, which is taken by agricultural department, maximum years have no drought, in relation to deviation from long term average rainfall (±19 %, no draught, moderate drought between deficiency -20 to -59 % and deficiency more than -60 % severe droughts). Severe drought occurred only in three years, moderate drought occurred in about ten years and for maximum years no draught intensity of rainfall condition …

Monsoon - Definition, Formation, Regions, and Impacts A monsoon is a seasonal reversal of winds accompanied by changes in precipitation , typically producing distinct wet and dry seasons in affected regions. Monsoons arise from large-scale differences in heating between land and ocean, which drive shifts in atmospheric pressure and wind direction. They influence climate, ecosystems, agriculture, water resources, and human societies across much of the tropics and subtropics. Key Takeaways: Monsoon A monsoon is a seasonal wind shift that drives alternating wet and dry seasons. Monsoons form due to differential heating of land and ocean and resulting pressure gradients. The most famous system is the South Asian monsoon , but monsoons occur worldwide. Monsoons bring life-sustaining rainfall , but also floods, landslides, and hazards . Climate variability and warming influence monsoon timing, intensity, and reliability . What Is a Monsoon? A monsoon is not simply heavy rain. It is a seasonal change in prevailing wind direction that leads to a dramatic shift in weather, often from dry to wet conditions or vice versa. The defining feature is the reversal of winds , not just precipitation…

India's Monsoon Gains Momentum: Impact on Kharif Crops ... - Devdiscourse India's Monsoon Gains Momentum: Impact on Kharif Crops and Reservoirs ICICI Bank's report highlights improved monsoon momentum in July, aiding kharif sowing recovery despite regional rainfall disparities. India's cumulative rainfall remains 20% below average, affecting key crops' acreage. Yet, improved basin-level water availability mitigates risks. Positive rainfall trends bolster sowing prospects amid neutral Indian Ocean Dipole conditions. Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 08-07-2026 10:24 IST | Created: 08-07-2026 10:24 IST Representative image (File photo/ANI). Image Credit: ANI SHARE In a promising turn for Indian agriculture, ICICI Bank reports an uptick in monsoon momentum for July, potentially supporting the recovery of kharif sowing, despite widespread rainfall disparities. Up to July 6, 2026, India's cumulative rainfall was recorded at 170.7 mm, marking a 20 percent shortfall from the long period average (LPA). While East and Northeast India endure significant deficits, with 41 percent less rainfall than the LPA, improvements are seen in Northwest India, South, and Central regions. Notably, states…

Telangana monsoon deficit: How intensifying El Niño is sparking a ... © Copyright 2026 The Week Online. All rights reserved. While 29 lakh acres were cropped by the end of June last year, this year the figure is hovering around 15 lakh acres K. Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy Updated- June 29, 2026 02:51 PM IST 2 minuteRead Link Copied The weak monsoon has crippled the kharif season, with cropped area dropping to 15 lakh acres from 29 lakh acres last year Water storage in major reservoirs like Singur and Srisailam has plummeted to critically low levels Meteorological authorities are strongly advising farmers to abandon water-intensive crops The effects of El Niño have slowed down the expansion of the Southwest Monsoon in Telangana, resulting in scant rainfall across the state. The lack of rain has affected the kharif season, delaying cropping due to the prolonged dry spell. Even though the monsoon made a timely landfall through the southern Jogulamba Gadwal district on June 8, its northward advance across the region was severely choked by persistent dry air intrusions. It took an unprecedented 15 days to cover all 33 districts—a process that normally takes under 4 days, according t…

Monsoon recovery to support kharif sowing as rainfall activity improves ... New Delhi [India], July 8 (ANI): Improved monsoon momentum in July is expected to support the recovery of kharif sowing, while higher water availability and reservoir levels will likely mitigate the impact of uneven rainfall distribution across regions, according to a report by ICICI Bank. The report noted, India's cumulative rainfall up to 6 July 2026 stood at 170.7 mm, 20 per cent below the long period average (LPA). While rainfall distribution remains uneven, activity has improved in recent weeks. East and Northeast India continue to witness a significant deficit of 41 per cent below LPA, whereas rainfall has improved in Northwest India (19 per cent below LPA), South India (15 per cent above LPA), and Central India (5 per cent below LPA). Eastern states including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and North Indian states -- Haryana and Punjab have received less rainfall along with Gujarat and Karnataka. It noted, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have witnessed normal rainfall. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu has recorded excess rainfall. At t…

From Floods to Drought - The 2025 Climate Story of India September 3, 2025 Atiya Afreen, Niva Mishra | Introduction & Background The monsoon is more than just a season in India – it’s the country’s heartbeat! From the deserts of Rajasthan to the lush slopes of the Western Ghats, rains indicate whether fields thrive or fail, whether rivers flow freely or run dry, whether millions eat well or go hungry. Nearly 60% of India’s farmland is rain-fed , making the southwest monsoon not just a weather phenomenon, but the foundation of India’s food security, economy, and social stability . But this lifeline is now becoming unpredictable. Once seen as nature’s most reliable rhythm, the monsoon is shifting under the weight of a warming planet. Delayed arrivals, erratic bursts, and prolonged dry spells are reshaping how—and where—rain falls. In a country where half the population still depends directly on agriculture, every shift in the clouds reverberates through villages, cities, and markets alike. As India faces the reality of climate extremes— floods one month, droughts the next —understanding the forces driving this volatility has never been more urgent. This piece unpacks the science, th…

India:El Nino should have weakened the monsoon. Then why have rains flooded India? After a stalled June, the southwest monsoon has returned with intense rain across India. Scientists say El Nino delayed the season, but climate change is amplifying downpours.

What Is a Monsoon? - National Environmental Satellite, Data and ... Official websites use .govA.govwebsite belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Secure .gov websites use HTTPSAlock(LockLocked padlock) orhttps://means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. A monsoon is a shift in winds that often causes a very rainy season or a very dry season. Although monsoons are usually associated with parts of Asia, they can happen in many tropical and subtropical regions – including several locations in the United States. When people think of a monsoon, they often think of heavy rains that pour down for weeks. While a rainy season is part of a monsoon, a monsoon is more than just rain. In fact, monsoons can also cause dry weather. Monsoons are caused by a change in the direction of thewindthat happens when the seasons change. In fact, even the word monsoon comes from the Arabic word mausim, which means “season.” A monsoon is caused by a seasonal shift in the winds. The winds shift because the temperature of the land and the temperature of the water are different as seasons change. For examp…

Banalata Sen and Manu Gupta: Responding to India's climate ... Nearly all Indian towns and cities exist in a paradox: they are water scarce in dry seasons, yet prone to severe flooding during monsoons. Earlier this summer, the entire area of south India was parched , putting pressure on already dwindling water resources. Yet come this monsoon season, as the city of Mumbai was submerged after being battered by a storm, hundreds of villages in the eastern part of the country stood abandoned as residents had fled the floods. The dead are accounted for, but no one has accounted for the millions of lives affected by the displacement, and the mental, emotional, and economic distress caused by the seasonal droughts and floods. India’s environmental burden of disease is substantial and attributable to modifiable risks, which include household and ambient air pollution, unsafe water, and poor sanitation and hygiene practices. Death, disease, injuries, and psychological stress due to extreme weather events, along with malnutrition, cardiorespiratory diseases, and a rise in vector borne diseases are all major climate-sensitive health risks for India, which are projected to add to the disease…

Monsoon Recovery to Boost Kharif Sowing: ICICI Report Agriculture News Updated Jul 8, 2026 Monsoon Recovery to Boost Kharif Sowing Amid Improved Rainfall Activity Improved monsoon momentum in July is expected to support recovery of kharif sowing in India. Cumulative rainfall is 20% below the long period average but recent weeks show improved activity. Kharif sowing stands at 35.1 million hectares, down 20.8% from last year due to deficient rainfall in key states. Despite El Nino conditions, reservoir levels are improving to help mitigate near-term risks. A ANI Jul 8, 2026 · 2 min read · 43 views Save Listen Copy Monsoon recovery to support kharif sowing as rainfall activity improves: Report New Delhi, July 8 Improved monsoon momentum in July is expected to support the recovery of kharif sowing, while higher water availability and reservoir levels will likely mitigate the impact of uneven rainfall distribution across regions, according to a report by ICICI Bank. The report noted, India's cumulative rainfall up to 6 July 2026 stood at 170.7 mm, 20 per cent below the long period average (LPA). While rainfall distribution remains uneven, activity has improved in recen…

Why El Niño Brings Both Drought and Deadly Floods to India A new study has found that El Niño events, long known to reduce India’s overall summer monsoon rainfall, also make extreme daily rainfall more intense in many parts of the country. The research, published inScienceon September 18, 2025, examined rainfall records from 1901 to 2020 and revealed a surprising pattern. The study was led by Spencer A. Hill, assistant professor at City College of New York, with collaborators from Columbia University and other institutions. Using more than a century of daily rainfall data from the India Meteorological Department, the team tracked how El Niño years influenced rainfall extremes across the subcontinent. “Our key finding is that you tend to get more days with extreme amounts of rainfall within India, not less, in El Niño summers,” Hill said. “This finding was unexpected, because it has been known for over a century that El Niños do precisely the opposite, meaning they promote drought for total rainfall summed over the rainy season, June through September.” El Niño occurs when ocean surface temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean are warmer than usual. While the climate…