The prevailing neutral phase of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) will continue along the equatorial Pacific Ocean till the end of the upcoming winter season in the northern hemisphere, multiple global weather agencies have said.
ENSO and its two phases – El Nino (warm) and La Nina (cold) – can cause extreme weather. Over India, many El Nino years have corresponded with below-average monsoon rainfall, whereas La Nina has been associated with severe winters.
The US-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said near-average sea surface temperatures persisted across most of the equatorial Pacific Ocean – a trend that has existed for the past few months.
Early next year, NOAA said, there are chances for the development of a weak and brief La Nina before the return of ENSO neutral conditions around mid-2026.
Earlier this month, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said ENSO neutral conditions would prevail through the monsoon and winter seasons. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), too, had said in its monthly ENSO bulletin that the probability of near-neutral ENSO conditions over the Pacific was high and it ranged from 50 to 68 per cent from August to April next year.