El Nino weakens India's monsoon but positive IOD could help
India's monsoon this year is on shaky ground thanks to a stronger El Nino, which usually means less rain and hotter days.
But there's a twist: experts at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) say a "positive" Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) (basically, warmer waters in the western Indian Ocean) could help balance things out and bring some much-needed rain.
South peninsular India rainfall down 22%
The WMO report points out that if this positive IOD kicks in, it might boost monsoon winds and ease El Nino's dry spell, especially for south peninsular India, where rainfall is down by 22% so far.
Forecasts hint that this helpful IOD could show up by September, possibly saving the season from slipping into drought territory.
For now, though, India's weather agency says IOD conditions are still neutral, so everyone's watching the skies a little more closely than usual.