Current El Niño Falls Short of 2015 Impact as India’s Rain Deficit Holds at 13%
Updated
Updated · Pet Food Processing · Aug 31
Current El Niño Falls Short of 2015 Impact as India’s Rain Deficit Holds at 13%
3 articles · Updated · Pet Food Processing · Aug 31
Summary
NOAA says the current El Niño has so far produced milder global effects than feared, with impacts still well below the major events of 2015, 1997 and 1982.
Frequent tropical rainfall in 2025 and early 2026 left many regions with strong soil moisture and water supplies, while El Niño’s effects have also been diluted by other weather patterns and a warmer ocean-atmosphere background.
Europe’s heat and drought and the western US hot, dry summer do not match typical strong El Niño patterns; forecasters instead point to pre-existing drought in Europe and unusually low Rocky Mountain snow cover in the US.
Across Asia, Indonesia remains the main dry spot, while India’s monsoon has been broadly favorable despite a 13% national rainfall deficit since June 1 and crop stress remains less severe than in past major El Niño years.
The event is still expected to strengthen for about 3 more months and peak in November or early December, leaving time for more damaging weather before it fades.