Headline
Chennai floods due to climate change?
India
Extreme events are increasing due to global warming. The recent heavy record deluge of rainfall over Chennai was due to above normal sea surface temperatures in the Bay of Bengal, presence of monsoon trough close to Chennai, prevailing easterly waves and strong easterly winds.
Sea surface temperatures were above normal. Credit:S.R. RAGHUNATHAN
Extreme events are increasing due to global warming. The recent heavy record deluge of rainfall over Chennai was due to above normal sea surface temperatures in the Bay of Bengal, presence of monsoon trough close to Chennai, prevailing easterly waves and strong easterly winds. The 2015 El Nino phenomenon weakened South west monsoon winds which in turn led to less churning and upwelling in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea and resulted in higher sea surface temperatures due to less mixing of cold waters with warm surface waters. This had a warming effect in Bay of Bengal.
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