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Marine heatwaves are on the rise in the Indian Ocean, leaving an impact on the Indian monsoon rainfall, according to a study by researchers of the Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM). In the study led by climate scientist Dr Roxy Mathew Koll and published in the journal 'JGR Oceans', the researchers reported a significant increase in marine heatwaves, aided by rapid warming in the Indian Ocean and strong El Niños (weather event associated with unusual warming of surface waters). The study found that marine heatwaves impact the monsoon by reducing the rainfall over the central Indian subcontinent, while enhancing it over the southern peninsula.