Which global climatic phenomenon, characterized by the abnormal warming of surface waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, frequently leads to suppressed rainfall and drought conditions during the southwest monsoon in Kerala?

💡 Solution & Explanation

El Niño involves the anomalous warming of surface waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, which alters global atmospheric pressure gradients and weakens the summer monsoon winds over the Indian subcontinent. Conversely, La Niña typically brings enhanced rainfall, while phenomena like the Indian Ocean Dipole operate in a different oceanic basin. El Niño events are closely monitored by meteorological departments to predict agricultural droughts in tropical regions.