Aviation Insights

In the year 2015, the city of Chennai received more than 1200 mm of rainfall between 5 November and 10 December. On December 1, 2015, the city was heavily flooded after receiving 494 mm of rainfall in a span of 24 hours. In November 2015, the city had received an overall rainfall of 1049.3 mm. Comparing to that, in the year 2023, within  64 hours in December 2023, 501.5 mm of rainfall was recorded. Between December 3 and December 5, Chennai’s Nungambakkam recorded 47 cm of rainfall, while Meenambakkam received 42 cm of rainfall. Avadi recorded a whopping 56 cm of rainfall between December 3 and 5. In Conclusion, both years experienced heavy rainfall, but the distribution and intensity varied. The 2015 floods were particularly devastating due to mismanagement of reservoirs, leading to sudden release of large volumes of water. In 2023, despite higher rainfall in some areas, the damage was less due to better management of reservoirs.

El Nino is a climate phenomenon that occurs when the surface waters of the Pacific Ocean become warmer than usual, affecting the atmospheric circulation and weather patterns around the world1. One of the effects of El Nino is that it can cause extreme rainfall events in some regions, such as the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu in India.  El Nino has significant effects on the weather patterns in Chennai.  Here are some key points: Extreme Rain Spells A joint study by the Department of Physics at Anna University and the Chennai Institute of Technology predicts that Tamil Nadu’s coastline, which includes Chennai, will experience erratic and extreme rain spells until 2030 due to the El Nino effect. This is a result of global warming and can lead to unexpected rain spells, causing flooding in some areas1. Infrastructure Concerns The study also raised concerns about the city’s infrastructure, which may be inadequate to handle such heavy rainfall1. After heavy rain spells in November, s...

A “El Nino” refers to a specific climate pattern that occurs when the sea surface temperatures in the central-east equatorial Pacific Ocean reach at least 2°C or warmer. This warming leads to various weather patterns and impacts. For instance, classic El Nino events are known to produce stormy weather across the southern tier of the U.S., while the northern part of the country sees less rollercoaster-like conditions. It’s important to know that Super El Nino's are considered to be rare, as the world has only recorded three of these events since the 1950s. Despite their common appearance, El Nino events are not similar, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says the weather patterns can lead to varying impacts. The El Nino oscillation cycle (ENSO) is divided into two: La Nina, when we experience extreme rainfall, and El Nino, when we experience extreme dry spells. The changes in temperature of the Pacific Ocean bring with it an immediate reaction. El Nino oc...