Geography Current Affairs for UPSC
The latest 45 Geography current affairs notes for UPSC Prelims and Mains, newest first.
October 2026 · 8
Fresh Nepal Flash Flood Renews Himalayan Hazard Concerns
The Hindu Kush Himalaya, a 3,500-kilometre mountain system, is warming at roughly 0.3°C per decade, nearly twice the global average, according to IPCC and WMO findings. This rapid warming is accelerating glacial melt…
13 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh Declare Drought After Weak Monsoon
A weak southwest monsoon, the poorest since 2015, has pushed Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh into declared drought. Large shares of their taluks and mandals are officially drought-hit. Crops like red gram, cotton…
13 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Geography
El Niño Set to Peak in December, WMO Warns
El Niño is the warm phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a Pacific Ocean climate cycle that recurs every two to seven years. The WMO has said the current El Niño is intensifying rapidly and will peak…
9 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
Scientists Warn of Severe El Niño, Call for Ecological Data
An unusually intense El Niño is developing in the Pacific Ocean for 2026-27, with global agencies assigning high confidence to it becoming a strong to very strong event and sea surface temperature anomalies potentially…
3 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
IMD's Monsoon Forecast Falls Short Despite Technical Accuracy
The India Meteorological Department's two seasonal monsoon forecasts, issued in April and May, pointed to a dry monsoon due to an anticipated strong El Niño. The season closed close to the IMD's conservative 'below…
2 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
India's 2026 Southwest Monsoon Ends With Sharp Regional Deficit
India's 2026 southwest monsoon ended as the driest in over a decade, with season-wide rainfall falling well below the Long Period Average (LPA), the fifty-year mean from 1971 to 2020. A season is normal between 96% and…
1 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
Government Launches First Offshore Mineral Block Auction in Andaman Sea
The Ministry of Mines has launched India's first auction of offshore mineral blocks, covering two blocks in the Andaman Sea, under the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002, as amended in 2023…
1 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
Uttarakhand Installs First Glacial Lake Early-Warning System
Uttarakhand has begun installing its first real-time early-warning system for a glacial lake, at Vasundhara Tal in Chamoli, moving beyond earlier mapping exercises toward continuous monitoring. The system combines a…
1 Oct 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
September 2026 · 21
Odisha Faces Record Monsoon Rainfall and Flood Risk
Odisha has recorded 1,453 mm of rainfall between June and late September, 29% above normal, driven by an unusually high number of low-pressure systems, 11 in all, forming over the Bay of Bengal rather than a single…
29 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
El Niño Linked to Repeated Monsoon-Season Swell Surges in Kerala
Kerala and southern Tamil Nadu have faced repeated swell surge alerts through the current monsoon season, a departure from the usual pattern of such warnings being confined to the pre-monsoon period. INCOIS attributes…
29 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
Rock-Ice Avalanches Expose Gaps in Himalayan Flood Warnings
The Himalaya's rapid deglaciation and thawing permafrost make its slopes prone to rock-ice avalanches, which can transform into devastating debris flows, a hazard distinct from Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). A…
24 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
Scientists Call for Study of Severe Incoming El Niño's Ecological Effects
An unusually intense El Niño is developing in the Pacific Ocean, with sea-surface temperature anomalies reaching +2.6°C by August 2026 and projected to touch +4°C, a level unseen in over a thousand years of coral-core…
20 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
WWA Study Links Nepal Flash Floods to Rock-Ice Avalanche and Climate Change
A World Weather Attribution study of the Nepal flash floods traced the disaster to a rock-ice avalanche at Langtang Lirung peak, where 110 million cubic metres of material detached from a 2.2 sq km mountain face and…
17 Sept 2026 · GS1, GS3 · Geography
Oceansat-3 Detects Chlorophyll Decline in Pacific Amid Developing El Niño
Oceansat-3, ISRO's ocean-monitoring satellite carrying the Ocean Colour Monitor-3 and Scatterometer sensors, has detected a significant decline in surface chlorophyll-a concentration across the tropical Pacific Ocean in…
12 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
August 2026 Recorded as Warmest Ever, Breaching Paris Agreement Threshold
August 2026 was confirmed as the warmest August on record globally, with the global average surface air temperature at 16.96°C — 1.65°C above pre-industrial levels and 0.85°C above the 1991–2020 average — breaching the…
11 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
Ganga Backwater Effect and Sediment Accumulation Drive Bihar Floods
Bihar's 2026 monsoon floods occurred despite a 27% cumulative rainfall deficit, exposing the multi-causal nature of Ganga basin flooding. The primary driver was not Nepal's upstream rivers but heavy discharge from the…
11 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
UN Adopts Equal Earth Map to Replace Mercator Projection
Every flat map of the Earth distorts reality because a spherical surface cannot be laid flat without sacrificing accuracy in at least one of four properties: area, shape, distance, or direction. The Mercator projection…
10 Sept 2026 · GS1, GS3 · Geography
Ladakh Tourism Surges as Infrastructure and Festival Calendar Expand
Ladakh recorded over 4.5 lakh tourist arrivals between January and August 2026, surpassing the full-year 2025 figure by more than 20 percent. Both domestic and foreign tourist numbers rose sharply. The growth is…
10 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Geography
Magnitude 5.3 Earthquakes Strike Tibet and Nepal's Mustang District
The Nepal-Tibet border region experienced two magnitude 5.3 earthquakes, one centred near Lomanthang in Mustang district and the other in Tibet. Both events reflect the structural seismicity of the Himalayan arc, which…
9 Sept 2026 · GS1, GS3 · Geography
Anak Krakatau Eruption Shuts Eight Indonesian Airports, Raises Tsunami Warning Concerns
Anak Krakatau, a composite stratovolcano in Indonesia's Sunda Strait, erupted in September 2026, sending ash plumes to 50,000 feet and forcing the closure of eight airports across western Indonesia. The volcano sits…
8 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
Gyirong Border Crossing Destroyed as Himalayan Glacier Collapse Kills Hundreds
The August 2026 Nepal disaster began with an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border that triggered a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) along the Bhotekoshi river, killing hundreds and destroying settlements…
7 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Geography
Anak Krakatau Erupts, Disrupting Flights and Raising Tsunami Awareness
Anak Krakatau, a composite stratovolcano in Indonesia's Sunda Strait, has erupted again, disrupting aviation across western Indonesia and renewing concern about tsunami risk. The volcano sits within the Ring of Fire…
7 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
Anak Krakatau Erupts in Sunda Strait; Tsunami Risk Assessed by Authorities
Anak Krakatau, meaning 'Child of Krakatau', is an active composite volcano in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, Indonesia. It emerged in 1927 within the caldera left by the catastrophic 1883 Krakatau eruption…
6 Sept 2026 · GS1, GS3 · Geography
UN Votes to Replace Mercator Projection with Equal Earth Map
The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution calling for the replacement of the Mercator projection with the Equal Earth projection in educational materials and official UN publications. The Mercator…
6 Sept 2026 · GS1 · Geography
Typhoon Saudel Floods China's Coast as El Niño Intensifies Typhoon Season
Typhoon Saudel, the seventh typhoon to hit China in 2026, made its third landfall along Fujian's coast and caused severe flooding, building collapses, and mass evacuations across Fujian and Zhejiang provinces. The…
5 Sept 2026 · GS1, GS3 · Geography
Nepal Floods Expose Gaps in Himalayan Glacial Hazard Preparedness
The Himalayan region is warming at twice the global average rate, expanding glacial lakes and raising the risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) across Nepal, Sikkim, and neighbouring areas. The South Lhonak Lake…
5 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
WMO Warns of Very Strong El Niño Persisting Through Early 2027
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has warned that a very strong El Niño is expected to persist through early 2027, raising serious concerns for South Asia's climate and food security. El Niño — defined by sea…
4 Sept 2026 · GS1, GS3 · Geography
Himalayan Rock-Ice Avalanches Demand Shift from Reactive to Anticipatory Disaster Preparedness
The Himalayan region faces a growing threat from rock-ice avalanches that trigger cascading hazard chains — avalanche to debris flow to flash flood — affecting areas far downstream from the original failure. Climate…
2 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
Himalayan Glacier Collapse Triggers Nepal Floods, Exposing Regional Preparedness Gaps
A catastrophic glacial collapse along the Nepal-Tibet border triggered flash floods in Nepal's Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts, killing over 939 people and trapping hydropower workers inside tunnels. The Hindu Kush…
1 Sept 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
August 2026 · 15
Hanging Glaciers in Alaknanda Basin Pose Growing Avalanche Risk
Hanging glaciers are ice masses perched on steep Himalayan slopes that can detach suddenly, triggering ice avalanches and secondary Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). A 2026 study by IIT Bhubaneswar and IISc…
31 Aug 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
Nepal Glacier Collapse Exposes Himalayan Dam Risks and Transboundary Data Gaps
The Himalayas are a geologically young, tectonically active mountain system where climate change is accelerating glacial retreat and increasing the frequency of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). High Mountain Asia…
31 Aug 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Geography
Bihar Flood Risk Eases After Nepal Flash Floods Surge Gandak River
A flash flood in Nepal caused a rapid surge in the Gandak river (called the Narayani in Nepal), threatening northern Bihar with severe flooding. All 36 gates of the Valmikinagar barrage in West Champaran were opened as…
28 Aug 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
Bhote Koshi Glacial Outburst Exposes Growing Cryo-Hydrological Hazards in Himalaya
A glacial collapse on the Nepal-Tibet border triggered catastrophic flash floods along the Bhote Koshi river system, devastating Nepal's Rasuwa and Dhading districts. Confirmed by the US Geological Survey as a glacial…
28 Aug 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
El Niño Drought Emergency Declared Across Central America and Peru
El Niño — the periodic warming of central and eastern equatorial Pacific surface waters — is one of the most consequential geophysical phenomena for global agriculture, trade, and food security. It disrupts the Walker…
27 Aug 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
India's Maritime Search and Rescue Framework Tested in Bay of Bengal Sinking
When the MV Ocean Winner sank in the Bay of Bengal, 230 nautical miles off Odisha, it activated a layered international legal and operational framework for maritime search and rescue. Under UNCLOS, territorial waters…
27 Aug 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Geography
Nepal-Tibet Flash Floods: Earthquake-Triggered Avalanche Devastates Bhote Koshi River System
A catastrophic glacial collapse on the Tibetan Plateau triggered cascading flash floods through Nepal's Bhote Koshi river corridor in 2025. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed, after initial misidentification…
27 Aug 2026 · GS1, GS3 · Geography
Record-intensity El Niño threatens monsoon, global food security, and temperature records
El Niño is the periodic warming of equatorial Pacific Ocean surface waters that disrupts the Walker Circulation, weakening India's southwest monsoon and triggering cascading losses across kharif and rabi agriculture.…
22 Aug 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Geography
Urban Flooding and Heat Disasters Expose India's Planning and Governance Gaps
Indian cities face compounding climate disasters — urban flooding and extreme heat — that are shaped less by weather alone and more by how cities are planned and governed. Dense construction, loss of green cover…
22 Aug 2026 · GS2, GS3 · Geography
INCOIS issues swell surge alert for Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Lakshadweep coasts
A swell surge alert issued by INCOIS for Kerala, southern Tamil Nadu, and Lakshadweep highlights an underappreciated category of coastal ocean hazard. Unlike tsunamis or cyclone-driven storm surges, swell surges…
20 Aug 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
Historic El Niño forecast raises concerns for India's monsoon and agriculture
A potentially historic El Niño is developing in the Pacific, with NOAA reporting a 69% probability that it will exceed the strength of all recorded events since 1950 and a 90% chance of a 'strong' event during the…
15 Aug 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
Kerala floods expose how sedimentation and wetland loss amplify disaster risk
Kerala's early August floods, displacing over 27,000 people, illustrate how successive disasters compound vulnerability through structural ecological degradation rather than extreme rainfall alone. Three interconnected…
5 Aug 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Geography
Recurring Kerala landslides expose Western Ghats ecological and governance vulnerabilities
Kerala's recurring landslides are driven by a convergence of structural and meteorological factors. The Western Ghats' two-layer terrain — loose weathered soil over hard rock — becomes critically unstable when prolonged…
2 Aug 2026 · GS3, GS2 · Geography
India's monsoon midpoint: Extreme wet and dry spells define July rainfall
July's monsoon performance illustrated the paradox of India's climate: extreme wet and dry conditions occurring simultaneously across different regions. After a deficit June, the season's first low-pressure system (LPS)…
2 Aug 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography
WMO warns of intensifying El Niño driving extreme global weather patterns
El Niño is the warm phase of the ENSO cycle, defined when sea surface temperatures in the Niño 3.4 region of the central-eastern Pacific exceed the climatological mean by +0.5°C for five consecutive overlapping…
1 Aug 2026 · GS3, GS1 · Geography