📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Torbjorn Toby Jorgensen
Weather
WMO predicts near‑certain ‘Godzilla’ El Niño, warns of possible no‑winter in India in 2026
✍️ The Economic Times
🗓 08 Sep 2026, 09:34 AM
👁 30
The World Meteorological Organization said there is almost a 100% chance of a powerful ‘Godzilla’ El Niño developing, which could suppress the winter season across India in 2026.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued a forecast indicating an almost certain emergence of a strong El Niño event, nicknamed “Godzilla”, for the 2025‑2026 period. Climate models show the probability of this phenomenon approaching 100%, a level rarely seen in recent decades.
If the forecast materialises, the typical winter pattern in India could be markedly weakened, with milder temperatures and a reduced number of cold spells across the northern plains and the Himalayas. Some experts suggest that the season could be so mild that it may be described as a “no‑winter” year.
El Niño events disrupt normal atmospheric circulation, often leading to hotter, drier conditions in South Asia during the winter months. Past strong El Niños have been linked to lower wheat yields, altered river flows and heightened health risks such as heat‑related illnesses.
Indian meteorological agencies are monitoring the WMO outlook closely and have advised farmers and policymakers to prepare contingency plans for potential impacts on agriculture, water resources and public health.
If the forecast materialises, the typical winter pattern in India could be markedly weakened, with milder temperatures and a reduced number of cold spells across the northern plains and the Himalayas. Some experts suggest that the season could be so mild that it may be described as a “no‑winter” year.
El Niño events disrupt normal atmospheric circulation, often leading to hotter, drier conditions in South Asia during the winter months. Past strong El Niños have been linked to lower wheat yields, altered river flows and heightened health risks such as heat‑related illnesses.
Indian meteorological agencies are monitoring the WMO outlook closely and have advised farmers and policymakers to prepare contingency plans for potential impacts on agriculture, water resources and public health.