The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, has begun issuing a Special El Niño Bulletin to highlight the likely impacts of El Niño on maritime regions. The first special bulletin was released on 22 June 2026 at an event held at INCOIS by Shri Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, Member of Parliament from the Chevella constituency. The bulletin confirms that the El Niño event is steadily strengthening and is expected to peak during the winter season (November 2026 to January 2027). As a result, sea surface temperatures in the Indian Ocean will remain above normal until April/May 2027. The northern Indian Ocean, covering both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, is likely to face thermal stress in the coming months, particularly during March-May 2027. This could increase coral reef bleaching, raise the frequency of marine heatwaves, and reduce fish catch, especially of sardine and mackerel, as fish may migrate to suitable habitats, breed less, or fail to attain the desired size. During the monsoon, the Bay of Bengal will remain turbulent with a likely rise in coastal erosion and flooding along India's east coast, while the Arabian Sea and west coast are expected to stay calmer than normal, offering more operational opportunities and reduced erosion and waterlogging. INCOIS has advised all maritime operators to closely follow alerts, warnings and advisories. The next special bulletin will be issued in the second week of July 2026.