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Thailand’s geographical proximity and affordability, along with its platter of delectable food, historical sites, pristine beaches and lively atmosphere, holds a particular appeal for Indian travellers. While tourists from India were forced to limit their travels to the Island country to a 15-day stay under a visa-on-arrival scheme until recently, the Thailand government is now extending its arms wider for us.<br /><br />Thailand's tourism sector has been strategically easing <keyword id="20166202" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="visa-regulations" source="keywords">visa regulations</keyword> to attract visitors from key markets like China and Russia. And now, the country has extended its visa exemption program, allowing visitors from these countries to vacation visa-free for up to 30 days until November 11, 2024. This move aims to revitalise its tourism industry, a key driver of the nation's economy.<br /><br />This is no doubt great news for those wanting to spend more time in the bustling city of Bangkok or immerse themselves in the rich culture and calm of its gorgeous temples. However, there are some rather glaring problems that Thailand is facing, thanks to climate change and the <keyword id="21610692" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="El-Nio-event" source="keywords">El Niño event</keyword> — that impacted India as well.<br /><br /><h4>Water shortage hits <keyword id="21610693" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Phi-Phi-islands" source="keywords">Phi Phi islands</keyword><br /></h4><br />For instance, the idyllic islands of Koh Phi Phi, which attract many Indians every year, are facing a real-life challenge that's anything but relaxing — a severe water shortage after a scorching heatwave gripped Asia.<br /><br />The private company supplying water may have to cut off service entirely, according to Wichupan Phukaoluan Srisanya, president of the Krabi Hotel Association. Island authorities are scrambling for solutions, considering bringing in water from the mainland if the dry spell persists. However, they remain optimistic that the upcoming wet season in May will bring relief, and Wichupan insists that tourists planning trips shouldn't be deterred, claiming they can manage the situation.<br /><br />But whispers of trouble are already reaching potential visitors. Online forums and travel reviews are buzzing with warnings from returning tourists urging others to "check if their accommodation has fresh water" before booking. Some reports even detail tap water running dry in April.<br /><br />While Koh Phi Phi takes centre stage, the heatwave's impact isn't isolated. <keyword id="21563893" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="koh-samui" source="keywords">Koh Samui</keyword>, another popular Thai island, has also experienced dry and scorching conditions. Although the tourism board there assures visitors haven't been affected, the island reportedly relies on water trucks, significantly increasing operational costs for hotels.<br /><br /><h4>Island closure due to coral bleaching<br /></h4><br />A popular island in southern Thailand, <keyword id="21605630" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pling-Island" source="keywords">Pling Island</keyword>, has been hit with a temporary closure due to extensive coral bleaching. This drastic measure by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) highlights the growing threat climate change poses to our underwater wonders.<br /><br />Pling Island recently witnessed intense heatwaves along with many other islands across Thailand and Asia. Due to ocean warming and acidification, corals expel the algae living within them, leaving them pale and vulnerable — a process referred to as coral bleaching. <br /><br />Thailand’s pristine beaches and vibrant coral reefs are a major draw for visitors, generating millions in revenue. However, unregulated tourism also puts a strain on these delicate ecosystems. Thailand's proactive approach in closing Pling Island demonstrates a commitment to striking a balance between economic prosperity and environmental sustainability.<br /><br />While natural phenomena like El Niño contribute to warmer temperatures, scientists point to human-induced climate change as the bigger culprit. Warmer oceans are the new normal, with Asia experiencing a faster-than-average rise in temperatures.<br /><br />Pling Island's closure and Phi Phi’s water crisis serve as a stark reminder of that every system has a carrying capacity and we must honour it. It sends the powerful message that even paradise needs a break once in a while to ensure its future remains dazzling.<br /><br />While the tourism-reliant industry of Thailand could greatly benefit from more visitors, mindful travel would help secure the future of the countrymen.<br /><br />

Thailand is now welcoming Indians with open arms, but are its drought-hit islands really prepared for a tourism influx?

<ul><li>Despite having zero Covid-19 cases, people here continue to take precautions like wearing masks.</li><li><keyword id="1802935" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Havelock-Island">Havelock Island</keyword> not only offers some stunning beaches, but it also has some of the top diving destinations in the country.</li><li>If you are hankering for some serious digital detox there is no better place than Havelock - there is limited to zero connectivity on the island.</li></ul><br />Earlier this month, Dr. Niveditha Vasireddy, a psychiatrist from Visakhapatnam, travelled to the <keyword id="54020" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Andaman-and-Nicobar-Islands">Andaman and Nicobar Islands</keyword>. The archipelago, of around 300 islands in the Indian Ocean, is a Union Territory of India, which if you look at the map seems closer to Thailand and Myanmar than to India. <br /><br />She tells Business Insider, not able to control her excitement, how she has never imagined experiencing such clean and untouched white sandy beaches in India. "I mean, you can expect such an experience in countries like the Philippines, but in India... my mind was blown,” she says.<br /><br />                                                    <div type="image" title="Elephant beach, Havelock" msid="81127084" hostid="261"></div><br />The picturesque white sandy beaches of the <keyword id="162996" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Andaman-Islands">Andaman Islands</keyword> are not considered by most as an option for a beach vacation. And perhaps it is for the best, because as is the case with most popular tourist destinations, the more touristy they become, the more we expose the location to environmental risks. But if responsible tourism is your jam, and you do not mind paying a little more money for a truly magical experience, then the Andaman Islands is the place to visit.<br /><br />Dr. Vasireddy, along with a few friends, decided to ditch the idea of vacationing in Goa and chose a place where they can get away from it all — plus, there was the added advantage of the location being COVID-free. In fact, it was the first place in India with zero<a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/andaman-and-nicobar-islands-indias-first-to-be-covid-free/articleshow/80657352.cms"> active cases</a> as of 03 February 2021. Regardless of the fact, she was pleasantly surprised that people on the Island continue to take safety very seriously and said all the locals were wearing face masks. In case you forget to wear yours, they will politely inform you that if you don't, you will get 'challand’ (a challan).<br /><br />Please note that it is mandatory to present an RTPCR Covid negative test at <keyword id="107932" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="PORT-BLAIR">Port Blair</keyword>. The authorities validate the test against the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) website. Only once the validity is confirmed do the officials stamp the document, and without this stamped paper, you will not be allowed to take the ferry to any of the Islands. Flights from all major cities of the country, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kochi, land at the capital Port Blair.<br /><br />                                          <div type="image" title="Havelock Island" msid="81128095" hostid="261"></div><br /><br /><strong>HAVELOCK ISLAND<br /></strong><br />The island not only offers some stunning beaches, but it also has some of the top diving destinations in the country. It is an excellent place to learn deep-sea diving so that you can explore the underwater marvels. Havelock Island is one of the few places where inexperienced divers can try out a single dive instead of signing up for a full course. The water is teeming with tropical fish, sea turtles, stingrays and much more. It also has a healthy population of colourful live corals. The best part is that you don't need to be a swimmer to try scuba diving. The crystal blue waters are so clear that you can always opt for snorkelling if you want to skip scuba diving. There is also an excellent night kayaking expedition that takes you through the mangroves. The unreal experience of watching the water bioluminescence below and the sky filled stars above cannot be paralleled.<br /><br />                                                  <div type="image" title="scuba diving, Havelock" msid="81126940" hostid="261"></div><br />There is so much to see in Havelock that it is best to hire a bike or cycle. But we must warn you that while happily cruising on well-made tar roads you may land up literally nowhere. "Some (roads) took us to beaches and others just abruptly ended by fields or the forest," Dr. Vasireddy tells us.<br /><br />                                                  <div type="image" title="Roads leading to nowhere, Havelock" msid="81127015" hostid="261"></div><br /><strong>Beaches<br /></strong><br /><keyword id="1578932" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Radhanagar-beach">Radhanagar Beach</keyword> (Beach No.7), Elephant Beach, and Vijaynagar Beach (Beach No.5) are some of the most well-known beaches in Havelock. <br /><br /><strong>Radhanagar beach </strong>is flanked by the ocean on one side and lush rainforest on the other. This west-facing beach is ideal for catching the sunset. You can also walk down to Neil's Cove, a secluded spot perfect for sunbathing and a spot for swimming in shallow water.<br /><br />                                                  <div type="image" title="Sunset at Havelock" msid="81127095" hostid="261"></div> <br /><strong>Elephant beach </strong>may not be easy to get to, but the beauty of the place more than makes up for the effort. The beach features some bleached driftwood and logs that provide an excellent backdrop for a photo-op. This is also an ideal place to go snorkelling.<br /><br /><strong>Vijaynagar beach </strong>is where the buzz is. This is where most of the restaurants, hotels and snorkelling centres are situated. The beach faces east and is, therefore, a great place to catch the sunrise. However, because the water is shallow and strewn with rocks, swimming here is not the easiest.<br /><br />                                                  <div type="image" title="Red snapper grilled in lemon pepper sauce  with rice and roasted potatoes" msid="81127169" hostid="261"></div><br /><strong>Food<br /></strong><br />The local food, if idyllic surroundings are not enough, is usually a combination of Indian and continental cuisine that is absolutely delicious. Dr. Vasireddy recommends - <strong>Fat Martin's Cafe</strong> in Vijaynagar that serves south Indian food including a delicious Nutella dosa; <strong>Anju Coco </strong>that strangely enough serves the "best biriyani”; <strong>Something Different </strong>serves excellent continental seafood pizza and amazing desserts<em>; </em><strong>Moonlight Cafe </strong>is great for seafood<em>. </em>The restaurants here are a seafood lovers paradise, serving up a fantastic variety of fresh red snappers, calamari, prawns, and so much more. That being said, there are plenty of vegetarian options too.<br /><br /><strong>Accommodation <br /></strong><br />There are plenty of hotels to choose from high-end Taj Hotels to more affordable options like Wild Orchid, SilverSand Beach Resort, Munjoh Ocean Resort and Symphony Palms Beach Resort. The hotels are clean, and most are environmentally conscious. Most hotels and restaurants on the Island provide only RO water and not plastic bottles, as is sadly the norm elsewhere. And if you choose to buy water, the local stores have nothing smaller than 2-litre bottles to reduce the amount of plastic used.<br /><br />                                              <div type="image" title="Bambooka, the government ferry" msid="81127801" hostid="261"></div><br /><strong>How to get there</strong><br /><br />From Port Blair, the best way to get to Havelock is by ferry. The government ferry from Port Blair to Havelock takes around 2.5 hours but please note that the outside deck area has no seating, so you will have to bring something to place on the floor to sit on. The booking process is slightly cumbersome, but you can get a travel agent to take care of everything, which will still be cheaper than private options. MV Makruzz and Coastal Cruise are the private companies that ferry people across to the Island. They take around 1.5 hours to get to Havelock.<br /><br /><strong>Connectivity<br /></strong><br />If you are hankering for some serious digital detox there is no better place than Havelock. There is limited to no connectivity on the island. BSNL is the only cellular service that works but the network is patchy. Hotels usually provide wi-fi access, but most are limited to the lobby area. <br /><br />                                            <div type="image" title="Port Blair" msid="81127917" hostid="261"></div><br /><strong>PORT BLAIR<br /></strong><br />While Andaman and Nicobar Islands' capital may not seem all that appealing as a tourism destination, there are plenty of places you can visit while here. There is a high probability of you spending the night there since the ferries to the islands do not operate at night. So depending on your flight timing, chances are, one way or the other you will have to stay in Port Blair.<br /><br />If you opt to stay in Port Blair, <keyword id="10800405" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chidiya-Tapu">Chidiya Tapu</keyword> (Bird Island) is an excellent place to explore. The area offers some fabulous diving spots, including Mundapahad, ideal for beginners and the old shipwreck, a site for advanced divers and home to clownfish, schooling snapper, resting ray and lots of colourful corals. If you want to give the water a break, the place is an excellent spot for birdwatching. The mangroves and rainforests here play host to a bunch of migratory birds and flowers. You can also hike to Mundapahad lighthouse. ReefWatch Marine Conservation, in collaboration with Lacadives, offers an informative mangrove walk (when the tide is out) and informs you about the surrounding ecosystem.<br /><br />                                          <div type="image" title="The view from Mt. Harriet" msid="81127981" hostid="261"></div><br /><br />Dr. Vasireddy decided to stay at the relatively new Big Tree Resort featuring only eight cabins, an in-house restaurant and a supremely friendly dog called Momo. Momo insists all guests should play with him and will bring you a coconut husk that you need to pry out of his mouth and throw so that he can fetch it, thus providing an excellent way to drive away the blues.<br /><br />                                          <div type="image" title="Cellular Jail" msid="81128022" hostid="261"></div><br />Another site that may be worth a visit, especially if you are a history buff, is the colonial prison called Cellular Jail (Kālā Pānī) that is where most freedom fighters, including Veer Savarkar, were shipped off to before independence. There is an informative light show in the evening and the tour of the jail itself is quite fascinating.<br /><br />                                          <div type="image" title="Limestone Caves" msid="81128047" hostid="261"></div><br /><br /><strong>BARATANG MANGROVE FOREST AND LIMESTONE CAVES<br /></strong><br />To experience the fascinating limestone caves and mangrove forests in <keyword id="5041058" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Baratang-Island">Baratang Island</keyword>, you will have to head to the Jirkatang check post (a little over an hour-long-drive from Port Plair), which marks the beginning of the area where the Jarawa tribes of Andaman Islands live. After the clearance is done, you can drive through Jarawa reserve forest, but note that taking photos is strictly not prohibited. Once you reach the other end, you have to take a ferry to cross the water and arrive at Baratang. Here you can take a permit and board a speedboat to ride through the mangroves and arrive at a trekking spot from where you have to walk for 1.2 km through villages to reach the spectacular limestone caves. The journey may sound daunting, but this is one of the unforgettable experiences you wouldn't want to miss. However, respecting the people's privacy and regulations, particularly of the tribals, is of paramount importance.<br />

Exploring the unreal beauty of the Andaman Islands

<p>&#xa0;</p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div>The 2015-16 El Niño has <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/">likely reached its end</a>. Tropical Pacific Ocean temperatures, trade winds, cloud and pressure patterns have all dropped back to near normal, although clearly the event's impacts around the globe are still being felt.<p>Recent changes in Pacific Ocean temperatures have been comparable to the decline seen at the end of the 1998 El Niño, although temperatures remain warmer than at the end of the most recent El Niño in 2010. Models suggest that ocean cooling will continue, with little chance of a return to El Niño levels in the immediate future.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div><p>The 2015-16 El Niño will go down as one of the three strongest El Niño events since 1950. Every El Niño is different, but typically the stronger the event, the greater its global impact. The 2015-16 El Niño was no exception, with wide-ranging effects felt around the world.</p><p>El Niño also added to the globe's warming trend, making <a href="https://theconversation.com/2016-is-likely-to-be-the-worlds-hottest-year-heres-why-59378">2015 the world's hottest calendar year on record</a>. Early indications are that 2016 could be hotter still.</p><p>So as El Niño fades, let's take stock of its impacts worldwide.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div><h2>Africa</h2><p>Drought meant that <a href="https://www.iol.co.za/business/news/farmers-owe-banks-r125bn-as-crops-wither-1971244">South African food production</a> was around six million tonnes below normal levels - the lowest since 1995.</p><p>In Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique, maize prices were at least 50% higher than usual, with drought unlikely to break until rains in summer 2016-17. In the <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/event-tracker/not-so-rainy-season-drought-southern-africa-january-2016">driest areas of Zimbabwe</a>, more than 75% of crops were lost. In May 2016, Zimbabwean national parks put wildlife up for sale in a bid to save animals from drought.</p><p>The <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/the-times/chocolate-prices-to-rise-as-el-nino-brings-big-dry-to-west-africa/news-story/7b68da82787af93e2557435638699c47">cost of chocolate</a> hit a four-year high as a result of drought and lost production in the world's major cocoa producer, Ivory Coast.</p><p>Drought also affected Ethiopia, Somalia, Swaziland, Zambia and parts of Madagascar, with more than 10 million Ethiopians in need of food aid.</p><p>In December 2015, <a href="http://www.fao.org/3/a-i5282e.pdf">Rift Valley fever</a> was reported in East Africa. The disease is associated with heavy rainfall providing a fertile breeding ground for the mosquitoes that carry the virus.</p><p>In Tanzania, <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/el-nino-induced-floods-ravage-east-africa/a-19245333">heavy rain destroyed crops and food reserves</a>, while in Kenya <a href="http://www.unocha.org/el-nino-southern-africa">heavy rains aggravated cholera outbreaks</a>. In May 2016, landslides in Rwanda cost many lives and heavy rains damaged infrastructure and hundreds of homes.</p><h2>The Pacific region</h2><p>El Niño is often, but not always, associated with <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-the-indian-ocean-and-el-nino-join-forces-things-can-get-hot-and-dry-48969">drought in Australia</a>. But the drying influence of the 2015-16 El Niño was initially tempered somewhat by very warm temperatures in the Indian Ocean. From April to August, above-average rainfall fell over parts of inland Western Australia, New South Wales and eastern Victoria.</p><p>But by spring, the Indian Ocean was helping El Niño, resulting in Australia's third-driest spring on record, limiting growth at the end of the cropping season. A record early heatwave in October further <a href="http://www.farmonline.com.au/news/agriculture/cropping/grains/el-nio-hammers-wheat-crop/2745601.aspx">reduced crop production in the Murray-Darling Basin</a>.</p><p>However, the lack of heavy rains in the north and west meant <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mining-australia-elnino-idUSKCN0S601W20151012">reduced downtime for mining</a>.</p><p>The northern wet season produced a record-low three tropical cyclones in the Australian region. The previous record was five, which happened in 1987-88 and again in 2006-07 - both El Niño years.</p><p>Fewer clouds and less tropical rain contributed to the <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/coral-bleaching">most severe coral bleaching</a> event on record for the Great Barrier Reef.</p><p>The combination of heat and low rainfall brought a very early start to the fire season, with more than 70 fires burning in Victoria and around 55 fires in Tasmania during October. Dry conditions in Tasmania also resulted in hundreds of fires being started by dry lightning in mid-January 2016. The <a href="https://theconversation.com/fires-in-tasmanias-ancient-forests-are-a-warning-for-all-of-us-53806">fires damaged large areas of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area</a>, including areas of rainforest and bogs, which may not have seen fire for centuries.</p><p>In Papua New Guinea, <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-papua-new-guinea-faces-worsening-drought-a-past-disaster-could-save-lives-46390">drought and frost led to crop failures and food shortages</a>. Staple sweet potato crops in the highlands were severely damaged by August frosts - the result of El Niño reducing night-time cloud cover - which also destroyed wild plants that are usually eaten as a backup source of food.</p><p>Vanuatu, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, Samoa and Tonga experienced <a href="http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/12/14/el-nino-warning-bells-ringing-oxfam">worsening drought</a>. Islands closer to the Equator such as Kiribati and Tuvalu had intense rain causing flooding, as well as higher sea levels due to warmer waters and weaker trade winds.</p><h2>Asia</h2><p>In the Philippines, drought was declared in 85% of provinces. Indonesia experienced its worst drought in 18 years. <a href="https://theconversation.com/indonesia-fires-threaten-to-send-even-modest-climate-ambitions-up-in-smoke-49155">Forest fires caused poor air quality</a> over vast neighbouring areas including Singapore, Malaysia, southern Thailand and the southern Philippines.</p><p>In the Mekong Basin, delayed monsoon rains reduced rice production, with significant reductions in Vietnam. In Thailand, severe water shortages led to water rationing and delayed rice planting. The Thai government <a href="http://time.com/3960462/thailand-drought/">lowered its forecast for rice exports</a> by two million tonnes. This led to some African countries increasing their imports, fearing a price rise.</p><p><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-28/malaysian-palm-oil-production-to-worsen-on-el-nino-mistry-says">Palm oil prices rose</a> as supplies became limited due to drought in Malaysia and Indonesia. In April 2016, a heatwave set national temperature records for Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.</p><p>Northern parts of China experienced drought in 2015. Heavy rainfall in southern China persisted through the second half of 2015, with flooding and landslides recorded along the Yangtze River Valley. China's December-to-February rainfall was approximately 50% above normal. In May 2016, heavy rain caused <a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/1949392/torrential-rains-claim-eight-lives-southern-chinas-guangdong">flooding and landslides in China's Guangdong province</a>.</p><p>In India, <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-05-03/india-is-suffering-one-of-its-worst-droughts-in-decades">below-average monsoon rains</a> in June to September led to reduced rice, corn, cotton and sugar output in 2015. Below-average rainfall between October and December also affected India's wheat harvest. Major water shortages emerged in some areas, including Mumbai - the result of two years of failed rains.</p><p>Indian Premier League cricket matches were relocated from Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur due to water restrictions. Record heat affected the north and west of the country in May, setting a <a href="http://reliefweb.int/report/india/india-sets-new-heat-record-temperatures-soar">new national record of 51?</a> in Phalodi.</p><p>Conversely, some <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/12/10/before-and-after-satellite-imagery-of-the-historic-flooding-in-chennai-india/">southern parts of India had exceptionally wet conditions</a>, with record-breaking rains and widespread flooding in Chennai in November and December. The city received over 300mm of rainfall on December 1, 2015; the wettest day in more than a century.</p><h2>South and Central America</h2><p>Peru experienced widespread flooding and mudslides in early 2016, with heavy rain leaving more than 5,000 people homeless. In Ecuador, flooding and landslides damaged properties and affected shrimp production.</p><p>More than 150,000 people were evacuated from <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-35184793">flooded areas in Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina</a> in December 2015. Some experts have linked El Niño flooding to outbreaks of <a href="http://who.int/hac/crises/el-nino/22february2016/en/">mosquito-borne diseases such as Zika virus</a>.</p><p>In January 2016, Argentina experienced its worst locust plague since 1954, following heavy rains and warm temperatures. Heavy rains returned to Argentina and Paraguay in April 2016, causing large agricultural losses.</p><p>In contrast, <a href="http://latincorrespondent.com/2016/02/el-nino-wreaks-havoc-in-colombia/">Colombia experienced drought and forest fires</a>, which caused severe damage to crops and pushed up food prices, leading to malnutrition in some areas. In November 2015, the United Nations warned that 2.3 million people would need food aid in Central America.</p><p>The Caribbean also experienced drought; Cuba had its most severe dry season in 115 years; Barbados, Dominica, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Antigua, Barbuda and Saint Lucia experienced water shortages, with the latter declaring a national emergency. The Dominican Republic experienced serious agricultural losses.</p><p>Brazil had a particularly high number of forest fires during 2015, exacerbated by ongoing drought conditions in the Amazon region. Drought in Brazil and Colombia (and Indonesia) meant <a href="https://weather.com/science/environment/news/el-nino-weather-damages-coffee-crops">coffee prices soared</a> as dry conditions affected all the major coffee-producing countries.</p><p>In contrast, excess rain in northeast Brazil flooded crops, leading to rises in the sugar price worldwide.</p><h2>North America</h2><p>In California, many hoped that El Niño would bring relief from five years of drought. But despite some regions getting heavy rain more typical of El Niño, leading to mudslides, El Niño failed to end the long-term dry.</p><p>In the southeast and south-central United States, rainfall was above normal. Major flooding occurred along the Mississippi River. Missouri received three times its normal rainfall during November and December 2015.</p><p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-17/crabs-carpet-california-beaches/7420956">Warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures</a> offshore meant warm water species such as sea snakes, red tuna crabs and hammerhead sharks were found on Californian beaches.</p><p><em>For information on the current and forecast state of ENSO, keep an eye on <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/">the Bureau's ENSO Wrap-Up</a>.</em></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"></div></div></div></div><p><span><a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/alison-cook-269168">Alison Cook</a>, Climatologist, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/the-bureau-of-meteorology">Australian Bureau of Meteorology</a></em>; <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-b-watkins-2818">Andrew B. Watkins</a>, Manager of Climate Prediction Services, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/the-bureau-of-meteorology">Australian Bureau of Meteorology</a></em>; <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/blair-trewin-3692">Blair Trewin</a>, Climatologist, National Climate Centre, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/the-bureau-of-meteorology">Australian Bureau of Meteorology</a></em>, and <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/catherine-ganter-259928">Catherine Ganter</a>, Senior Climatologist, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/the-bureau-of-meteorology">Australian Bureau of Meteorology</a></em></span></p><p>This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/el-nino-is-over-but-has-left-its-mark-across-the-world-59993">original article</a>.</p><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"></div></div></div></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/weather-system-in-a-box-2016-3">This is a weather system in a box</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="E0dTNpMTE6pr_yrk_cImaAg0baJy6XE7" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

You Searched For "thailand coral bleaching" and got 3 results

Thailand is now welcoming Indians with open arms, but are its drought-hit islands really prepared for a tourism influx?

Ashmita Gupta

Exploring the unreal beauty of the Andaman Islands

Kavita Majumdar

El Nino is over - but its impacts are still being felt across the globe

Alison Cook and Andrew B. Wat…

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