India, Oct. 24 -- Low-pressure systems have become a buzzword during the monsoon, fuelling the impression that rainfall across India is increasingly driven by these systems rather than by monsoon winds. But the picture is more complex. The projected increase in Indian summer monsoon rainfall under a warming climate is primarily associated with rising atmospheric water vapour over the country, says Govindasamy Bala, a professor at the Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.

Akshit Sangomla (AS): What role do low-pressure systems play in determining rainfall during India's southwest monsoon? Is their frequency increasing, decreasing or remaining broadly stable, and what factors explain the...