Pacific 'Victoria Mode' may be drying north-west India, study finds

A study by IMD and IITM scientists finds that the hot, semi-arid steppe zone in north-west India grew from 25.7% of the region in 1951-80 to 33.1% in 1991-2020, while the milder temperate zone shrank from 25.8% to 18.7%. The authors link these shifts in temperature and rainfall to the 'Victoria Mode', a Pacific Ocean phenomenon, warning of risks to food supply.