Abstract
The present study investigated the relationship between the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and heat wave characteristics, such as duration, annual number of heat wave days and maximum temperature of heat wave events, in India. El Nino is associated with an eastward shift in the Walker circulation and breakdown of circulation patterns, resulting in delay in the onset of the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM). Because most heat waves in India occur during the pre-monsoon season, the present study showed that heat waves during El Nino years were longer and hotter, and it is argued that this is related to a delay in the onset of the ISM. Further, it was found that the shift in the circulation pattern due to El Nino resulted in (1) the weakening of southwesterlies in the Arabian Sea, and (2) the occurrence of a large number of clear sky days over India. These explain the occurrence of warmer and longer duration heat waves during El Nino years. These results imply that, if El Nino activity increases in the future, heat waves in India are likely to intensify.
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