The response of the Indian monsoon associated with the change in sea surface temperature over the eastern south equatorial Pacific

Utilizing the seasonal SST anomaly and the objective criteria., warming and cooling phases of the ESE Pacific are identified during 1871-1984. The Indian monsoon rainfall (lMR) and cyclogenesis over India and neighbourhood during the summer monsoon are examined in relation to warming and cooling phases. These phases are strongly and inversely associated with IMR. Association with the formation of low pressure systems is inverse and significant at 5% level. The association between warming of ESE Pacific and below normal IMR is found to be far stronger than that between warm ESE Pacific and IMR, suggesting that warming phase influences the monsoon circulation much more than the warm ESE Pacific. The association between El Nina and IMR though highly significant is relatively much weaker than that between warming and below normal IMR.