Fri, 23 Oct, 2026, 02:28 am
Reported by Mid-day
The unpredictability of the seasons has left Mumbaikars on edge. With an erratic monsoon behind us and a warm October underway, alarming labels such as âSuper El Nino' , âMonster El Nino' and âGodzilla El Nino' have added to concerns. However, meteorologists caution against the hype, explaining what the phenomenon means for India, Maharashtra and Mumbai.
The Pacific Ocean, thousands of kilometres away, plays a major role in shaping global weather patterns. Changes in sea-surface temperatures and atmospheric circulation in the tropical Pacific form part of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a naturally occurring climate pattern.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) identifies El Nino as the warm phase of ENSO and La Nina as its cool phase. The pattern recurs cyclically, typically every two to seven years, while the Oceanic Nino Index (ONI) helps measure the strength of El Nino.
This year, the WMO expects El Nino to intensify towards a peak around December. However, forecasts are probabilistic, and the eventual strength and duration of the event remain uncertain. Athreya Shetty, an independent meteorologist, believes labels such as âSuper', âMonster' and âGodzilla' El Nino are an overreach.
