A near normal rainfall during southwest monsoon from June to September predicted by the India Meteorological Department gives hope to farmers in Anantapur district.
Coinciding with the IMD’s predictions, US-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts a 65% chance of El Nino forming in the next couple of months and Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology in its ‘ENSO Outlook’ classifies it as ‘El Nino alert’. This means the chance of El Nino forming from Australian autumn is around 70%; triple the normal likelihood. The next update on El Nino was expected from all three major agencies on May 9.
Anantapur-based Senior Scientist (Agronomy) and Agrometeorologist in AICR Project on Agrometeorology S.N. Malleswari Sadhineni conducted study on El Nino years for the drought-prone district and rainfall pattern from 1991 to 2018.