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While climate change continues to drive extreme weather worldwide, large parts of Northern and Central India are experiencing a historically cool May. Data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) shows that temperatures in several districts have remained 8-13°C below the seasonal average, with some areas recording their lowest May temperatures in decades. This anomaly is being caused by persistent easterly winds and frequent western disturbances that have brought unexpected rainfall and cloud cover to the plains. The break from the traditional “loo” winds has provided a much-needed reprieve for citizens who were bracing for a brutal summer.
However, this mild weather comes with its own set of challenges, particularly for the agricultural sector. In Western India, mango farmers are reporting a 70-90% drop in yields for the prized Alphonso variety, a loss attributed to “climate shock” and erratic rainfall during the flowering season. While the urban population enjoys the cool breeze, policy experts are warning that these fluctuations are symptoms of a destabilized climate system. A recent policy brief also highlighted the strain on India’s microfinance sector, as 60% of small-scale loans are tied to agriculture, which is increasingly vulnerable to these erratic shifts. As El Niño patterns are expected to develop later in the year, the IMD has advised the public to remain prepared for a potential late-summer heatwave, reminding the nation that the current comfort is a temporary deviation from a long-term warming trend.
