Godzilla El Nino coming: How is India tracking the warming ocean?

As El Nino strengthens over the tropical Pacific and scientists warn it could intensify further this year, India is keeping a close watch on the oceans that shape its weather, fisheries and monsoon.While the climate pattern is often linked to weak monsoon rains and hotter summers, tracking it requires a sophisticated network of satellites, buoys, autonomous floats and advanced computer models that monitor the oceans around the clock. A farmer walks across a partially dried up paddy land, showing impacts of El Nino. (Photo: PTI) Highlighting this capability, the Ministry of Earth Sciences recently informed the Parliament how India's ocean observing network is helping scientists monitor changing ocean conditions and improve forecasts of climate events such as El Nino.The data generated also support early warnings for marine heatwaves, cyclones, storm surges and other ocean-related hazards. HOW DOES INDIA KEEP AN EYE ON THE OCEAN?El Nio is the warm phase of the El Nio-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a natural climate cycle marked by unusually warm sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. Although it develops thousands of kilometres away, it can influence global weather patterns and often weakens India's southwest monsoon.To keep track of these changes, India has significantly expanded its ocean observing infrastructure. According to the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the country now operates 19 subsurface moorings, with three of them in the equatorial Indian Ocean, that continuously monitor ocean currents and subsurface conditions.Todo empieza en el Pacfico, pero sus efectos pueden sentirse en todo el mundo.Durante un episodio de El Nio, las aguas del Pacfico central y oriental se calientan ms de lo habitual, alterando los vientos y las condiciones atmosfricas.Aprende ms: pic.twitter.com/ZYhYA80OPL— NASA en espaol (@NASA_es) July 24, 2026These are supported by 12 Deep Ocean Tsunami Buoys (DOTBs), 17 wave rider buoys, 36 coastal tide gauges, 10 High Frequency (HF) radars, and contributions from more than 4,300 Argo profiling floats deployed across the world's oceans.The observations are combined with satellite data, research vessel measurements and global datasets before being fed into sophisticated ocean-atmosphere models that help scientists track the evolution of El Nino and assess its potential impact on India's weather. Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu speaks during a meeting on the state's preparedness for El Nino. (Photo: PTI) BETTER FORECAST, BETTER PREPARATIONThe strengthened observing network is not limited to climate monitoring.Real-time ocean observations are now assimilated into operational forecasting systems that generate predictions for sea state, ocean currents, marine heatwaves and coastal conditions.El Nio: The equatorial Pacific continues to warm beneath the surface, with the peak subsurface temperature anomaly reaching +8.6°C — the highest of the event so far.As westerly wind bursts continue, more warming is expected. The peak subsurface anomaly could soon exceed +10°C. pic.twitter.com/PjVOA5fcc6— Ben Noll (@BenNollWeather) July 29, 2026These services support fishermen, the shipping industry, offshore operations, disaster management agencies and coastal communities.India's ocean observations are also integrated with international programmes such as the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) and the Indian Ocean Observing System (IndOOS), ensuring that domestic observations contribute to global climate monitoring while benefiting from international data.As El Nino continues to evolve, timely ocean observations have become more important than ever. A satellite image shows a warm part of the Pacific Ocean. (Photo: Windy) While the phenomenon cannot be prevented, India's expanding network of instruments and forecasting systems is helping scientists detect changes earlier, improve forecast accuracy and provide governments, farmers and coastal communities with valuable time to prepare for its impacts.- EndsPublished On: Jul 31, 2026 14:47 IST