Tamil Nadu

Climate & Meteorology

Hottest Southwest Monsoon in 9 Years:
- An analysis by the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) revealed that Tamil Nadu registered a mean temperature of 29.45°C between June and September 2026.
- This was 1.21°C above the 2018–2025 average, making it the warmest Southwest monsoon recorded in the state in the last 9 years.
- Key weather stations recording elevated temperatures included Vellore, Puducherry, Palayamkottai, Meenambakkam (Chennai), Kodaikanal, and Tiruttani.
- Factors: Attributed to long-term global warming trends combined with strong El Niño conditions.

2026 Nobel Prize in Physics:
- Laureate: Belgium-born astrophysicist Francis Halzen (University of Wisconsin–Madison, USA).
- Contribution: Awarded for pioneering the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole and discovering high-energy cosmic neutrinos of astrophysical origin.
- Scientific Detail: IceCube occupies 1 cubic kilometer of Antarctic ice and uses 5,160 optical sensors to detect Cherenkov light—the faint blue flash produced when neutrinos collide with atomic nuclei in pure ice.

Launch of First Indigenous Fleet Support Ship (FSS-1) ‘Surya’:
- Launched at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam under a ₹19,000-crore contract for five auxiliary vessels.
- Features 82% indigenous content and a liquid cargo capacity of 20,000 tonnes of high-speed diesel and 2,500 tonnes of aviation turbine fuel to sustain high-seas naval fleet deployments.

Constitutional Strength of Supreme Court Reaches 37:
- Three new judges—Justices Sunita Agarwal, Devendra Kumar Upadhyay, and Aparesh Kumar Singh—were sworn into the Supreme Court, taking its working strength to 37 out of a sanctioned strength of 38.
Appointment of 29th Chief of Air Staff:
- Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit was appointed as the 29th Chief of the Air Staff (succeeding Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh on October 31).

Indian Women’s Cricket:
- Harmanpreet Kaur stepped down as captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket team across all formats.
- Smriti Mandhana was appointed as the new captain.