The hottest year on record, including the hottest Indian Ocean temperatures on record, coupled with a strong El Nino may have whipped up the perfect conditions to drop a huge amount of rain on the Southeastern Indian city of Chennai.
(sourced from The Indian Express: Patients being shifted from a flooded hospital after heavy rains in Chennai on Tuesday. PTI Photo)
(sourced from The Hindu)
Weather systems were strengthened as a result of a positive Indian Ocean Dipole contributing to hotter ocean temperatures in the Bay of Bengal. Divergence aloft and lots of surface moisture led to strong convection and significant sustained precipitation. In a warming climate, the IPCC AR5 predicts an increased probability of extreme precipitation.