Strong El Niño Drives India's Third-Warmest October Since 1901 With Record Day Temperatures

Key facts

• India recorded its third-warmest October since 1901, after 2024 and 1951, with an average monthly temperature of 26.6°C, about 0.94°C above normal.
• Average day-time temperatures in October hit an all-time record for the month at nearly 32.4°C, 1.06°C above normal, the highest since 1901, driven partly by a strong El Niño per India Meteorological Department chief Dr Mrityunjay Mohapatra.
• The southern peninsula recorded its highest average day and night October temperatures since 1901, with its five warmest Octobers occurring in the last 15 years.
• The strong El Niño is likely to peak in November and its conditions are expected to last until spring next year, with the IMD predicting above-normal day and night temperatures in November except parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.
• October ended with a rainfall deficit of nearly 31% below the long-term average, despite very severe cyclonic storm 'Arnab' hitting the Andhra Pradesh coast on October 28 and moving towards Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh.