A Very Severe Cyclonic Storm is the third highest category used by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to classify tropical cyclones, within the North Indian Ocean tropical cyclone basin between the Malay Peninsula and the Arabian Peninsula. Within the basin a very severe cyclonic storm is defined as a tropical cyclone that has 3-minute mean maximum sustained wind speeds of between 64–89 knots (119–165 km/h; 74–102 mph). The category was introduced alongside the Super Cyclonic Storm category during 1999 in order to replace the previously used Severe Cyclonic Storm with Core of Hurricane Winds. However, it was bifurcated during 2015, when the IMD introduced a new Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm category. There have been at least eight storms that have attained such an intensity. The most recent super cyclonic storm was Cyclone Kyarr in 2019 North Indian Ocean cyclone season.
Background
editThe North Indian Ocean tropical cyclone basin is located to the north of the Equator, and encompasses the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, between the Malay Peninsula and the Arabian Peninsula.[1][2] The basin is officially monitored by the India Meteorological Department's Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre in New Delhi, however, other national meteorological services such as the Bangladesh and Pakistan Meteorological Department's also monitor the basin.[1][2]
The Very Severe Cyclonic Storm category was introduced during 1999 alongside Super Cyclonic Storms in order, to replace the previously used Severe Cyclonic Storm with Core of Hurricane Winds.[2] At the time it was the second-highest category with systems having 3-minute sustained wind speeds of between 64–119 kn (119–220 km/h; 74–137 mph).[2] However, during 2015 the category was bifurcated, after the IMD introduced a new Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm category. As a result, very severe cyclonic storms are currently estimated, to have 3-minute sustained wind speeds of between 64–89 kn (119–165 km/h; 74–102 mph).[1]
Systems
edit| Name | System dates | Sustained wind speeds |
Pressure | Areas affected | Deaths | Damage (USD) |
Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unnamed | October 31, 1831 | Not Specified | Not Specified | Orissa | 22,000 | [3] | |
| Unnamed | October 2 – 5, 1864 | Not Specified | Not Specified | West Bengal | 50,000 | [3] | |
| Unnamed | April 28 – May 5, 1966 | Not Specified | Not Specified | [4] | |||
| Unnamed | October 8 – 11, 1967 | 155 km/h (100 mph) | 980 hPa (28.94 inHg) | [5] | |||
| Unnamed | October 20 – 24, 1967 | 150 km/h (90 mph) | 986 hPa (29.12 inHg) | [5] | |||
| Unnamed | December 4 – 8, 1967 | 130 km/h (80 mph) | 988 hPa (29.18 inHg) | [5] | |||
| Unnamed | September 29 – October 4, 1968 | 130 km/h (80 mph) | 984 hPa (29.06 inHg) | [6] | |||
| Unnamed | November 9 – 15, 1968 | 140 km/h (85 mph) | 970 hPa (28.64 inHg) | [6] | |||
| Unnamed | May 2 – 7, 1970 | 150 km/h (90 mph) | 975 hPa (28.79 inHg) | Bangladesh, Myanmar | [7] | ||
| Unnamed | October 18 – 22, 1970 | 130 km/h (80 mph) | 980 hPa (28.94 inHg) | Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Bangladesh | 200-300 | [7] | |
| Unnamed | September 27 – October 1, 1971 | 120 km/h (75 mph) | 979 hPa (28.91 inHg) | West Bengal, Bangladesh | [8] | ||
| Unnamed | December 14 – 21, 1971 | 130 km/h (80 mph) | 987 hPa (29.15 inHg) | Arabia | [8] | ||
| Unnamed | April 7 – 11, 1972 | 150 km/h (90 mph) | 983 hPa (29.03 inHg) | [9] | |||
| Unnamed | October 19 – 25, 1972 | 120 km/h (75 mph) | 984 hPa (29.06 inHg) | [9] | |||
| Unnamed | November 15 – 23, 1972 | 150 km/h (90 mph) | 985 hPa (29.09 inHg) | [9] | |||
| Unnamed | December 1 – 8, 1972 | 140 km/h (85 mph) | 984 hPa (29.06 inHg) | [9] | |||
| Pradeep | November 3 – 9, 1973 | 140 km/h (85 mph) | 984 hPa (29.06 inHg) | [10] | |||
| Contai | August 13 – 20, 1974 | 140 km/h (85 mph) | 970 hPa (28.64 inHg) | [11] | |||
| Unnamed | May 1 – 11, 1975 | 150 km/h (90 mph) | 979 hPa (28.91 inHg) | [12] | |||
| Unnamed | May 4 – 8, 1975 | 155 km/h (100 mph) | 976 hPa (28.82 inHg) | [12] | |||
| Mahuva | May 29 – June 3, 1976 | 130 km/h (80 mph) | 970 hPa (28.64 inHg) | [13] | |||
| Contai | September 8 – 19, 1976 | 130 km/h (80 mph) | 977 hPa (28.85 inHg) | [13] | |||
| Machilipatnam | November 3 – 6, 1976 | 120 km/h (75 mph) | 987 hPa (29.15 inHg) | [13] | |||
| Unnamed | December 28, 1976 – January 3, 1976 | 150 km/h (90 mph) | 981 hPa (28.97 inHg) | [13] | |||
| Unnamed | November 8 – 12, 1977 | 140 km/h (85 mph) | 984 hPa (29.06 inHg) | [14] | |||
| Unnamed | May 14 – 17, 1978 | 150 km/h (90 mph) | 965 hPa (28.50 inHg) | [15] | |||
| Unnamed | September 18 - 24, 1979 | 130 km/h (80 mph) | 980 hPa (28.94 inHg) | [16] | |||
| Unnamed | October 28 - November 3, 1981 | 120 km/h (75 mph) | 983 hPa (29.03 inHg) | [17] | |||
| Unnamed | November 16 - 20, 1981 | 120 km/h (75 mph) | 983 hPa (29.03 inHg) | [17] | |||
| Unnamed | December 4 - 11, 1981 | 140 km/h (85 mph) | 980 hPa (28.94 inHg) | [17] | |||
| BOB 01 | May 21 - 26, 1985 | 120 km/h (75 mph) | Not Specified | [18][19] | |||
| BOB 01 | January 30 - February 4, 1987 | 140 km/h (85 mph) | 970 hPa (28.64 inHg) | [18][20] | |||
| ARB 01 | November 12 - 15, 1993 | 120 km/h (75 mph) | 986 hPa (29.12 inHg) | [18] | |||
| ARB 02 | November 15 - 20, 1994 | 120 km/h (75 mph) | 984 hPa (29.06 inHg) | [18] | |||
| BOB 07 | November 8 - 9, 1995 | 145 km/h (90 mph) | 978 hPa (28.88 inHg) | [18] | |||
| BOB 08 | November 6, 1996 | 145 km/h (90 mph) | 978 hPa (28.88 inHg) | [18] | |||
| BOB 09 | December 3 - 4, 1996 | 120 km/h (75 mph) | 984 hPa (29.06 inHg) | [18] | |||
| BOB 08 | November 15, 1998 | 145 km/h (90 mph) | 982 hPa (29.00 inHg) | [18] | |||
| BOB 09 | November 21 - 22, 1998 | 120 km/h (75 mph) | 984 hPa (29.06 inHg) | [18] | |||
| BOB 01 | May 12 - 14, 2003 | 120 km/h (75 mph) | 980 hPa (28.94 inHg) | [18] | |||
| Phet | June 2 - 4, 2010 | 155 km/h (100 mph) | 964 hPa (28.47 inHg) | [18] | |||
| Thane | December 25 - 31, 2011 | 140 km/h (85 mph) | 969 hPa (28.61 inHg) | [18] | |||
| Lehar | November 23 – 28, 2013 | 140 km/h (85 mph) | 980 hPa (28.94 inHg) | Malay Peninsula, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India | [18] | ||
| Vardah | December 6 – 13, 2016 | 130 km/h (80 mph) | 975 hPa (28.79 inHg) | Sumatra, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Thailand Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India |
[18] | ||
| Ockhi | November 29 - December 6, 2017 | 155 km/h (100 mph) | 976 hPa (28.82 inHg) | Sri Lanka, South India, Western India, Maldives | 137 | [21] | |
| Luban | October 6 – 15, 2018 | 140 km/h (85 mph) | 978 hPa (28.88 inHg) | Yemen, Oman | 14 | [22] | |
| Titli | October 8 – 13, 2018 | 150 km/h (90 mph) | 972 hPa (28.70 inHg) | Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Bangladesh | 85 | [22] | |
| Gaja | November 10 – 18, 2018 | 130 km/h (80 mph) | 976 hPa (28.82 inHg) | Andaman Islands, India, Sri Lanka | 46 | [22] | |
| Vayu | June 10 – 17, 2019 | 150 km/h (90 mph) | 970 hPa (28.64 inHg) | Maldives, India, Pakistan, Oman | [23] | ||
| Hikaa | September 22 – 25, 2019 | 140 km/h (85 mph) | 972 hPa (28.70 inHg) | Western India, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Yemen | [24] | ||
| Bulbul | November 5 – 11, 2019 | 140 km/h (85 mph) | 976 hPa (28.82 inHg) | Myanmar, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Eastern India, Bangladesh |
[25] | ||
| Gati | November 21 – 24, 2020 | 140 km/h (85 mph) | 976 hPa | Socotra, Yemen, Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia | 9 | $1 million | |
| Nivar | November 23 – 27, 2020 | 120 km/h (75 mph) | 980 hPa | Sri Lanka, India | 14 | $600 million | |
| Yaas | May 23 – 28, 2021 | 130 km/h (80 mph) | 972 hPa | Sri Lanka, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Myanmar, India, Bangladesh | 20 | $2.84 billion | [26] |
Climatology
edit| Month | Number of storms |
|---|---|
| January | |
| February | |
| March | |
| April | |
| May | |
| June | |
| July | |
| August | |
| September | |
| October | |
| November | |
| December |
| Period | Number of storms |
|---|---|
| 1960s | |
| 1970s | |
| 1980s | |
| 1990s | |
| 2000s | |
| 2010s | |
| 2020s |
References
edit- ^ a b c RA I Tropical Cyclone Committee. Tropical Cyclone Operational Plan for the Tropical Cyclone Operational Plan for the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea 2019 (PDF) (Report). World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Best track data of tropical cyclonic disturbances over the north Indian Ocean (PDF) (Report). India Meteorological Department. July 14, 2009. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
- ^ a b "Historical records of 12 most devastating cyclones, which formed in the Bay of Bengal and made landfall on the East coast of India". National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project. Archived from the original on June 5, 2010. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
- ^ India Weather Review Annual Summary — Part-C: Storms and Depressions 1966 (PDF) (Report). India Meteorological Department. 1967. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- ^ a b c India Weather Review Annual Summary — Part-C: Storms and Depressions 1967 (PDF) (Report). India Meteorological Department. 1969. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- ^ a b India Weather Review Annual Summary — Part-C: Storms and Depressions 1968 (PDF) (Report). India Meteorological Department. 1969. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
- ^ a b India Weather Review Annual Summary — Part-C: Storms and Depressions 1970 (PDF) (Report). India Meteorological Department. 1971. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
- ^ a b Das, P K; George, C A; Jambunathan, R. "Cyclones and Depressions of 1971 - Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea" (PDF). Mausam. 31 (3): 453–356.
- ^ a b c d Das, P K; George, C A; Jambunathan, R (1973). "Cyclones and Depressions of 1972 - Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea" (PDF). Mausam. 24 (4): 327–344. doi:10.54302/mausam.v24i4.5165. S2CID 247045331.
- ^ Alexander, George; George, C A; Jambunathan, R (1974). "Cyclones and Depressions of 1973 - Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea" (PDF). Mausam. 25 (3 & 4): 347–362. doi:10.54302/mausam.v25i3.5240. S2CID 249031839.
- ^ Alexander, George; George, C A; Jambunathan, R (1976). "Cyclones and Depressions of 1974 - Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea" (PDF). Mausam. 27 (2): 113–126. doi:10.54302/mausam.v27i2.2417. S2CID 246971391.
- ^ a b Alexander, George; George, C A; Jambunathan, R (1977). "Cyclones and Depressions of 1975 - Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea" (PDF). Mausam. 28 (1): 3–20. doi:10.54302/mausam.v28i1.2655. S2CID 246968196.
- ^ a b c d Alexander, George; George, C A; Jambunathan, R. "Cyclones and Depressions in the Indian Seas in 1976" (PDF). Mausam. 29 (4): 613–628.
- ^ Pant, P S; Ramakrishnan, A R; Jambunathan, R (1980). "Cyclones and Depressions over the Indian Seas in 1977" (PDF). Mausam. 31 (3): 337–356. doi:10.54302/mausam.v31i3.3533. S2CID 246784388.
- ^ Srinivasan, V; Ramakrishnan, A R; Jambunathan, R. "Cyclones and Depressions over the Indian Seas in 1978" (PDF). Mausam. 31 (4): 495–506. doi:10.54302/mausam.v31i4.3444. S2CID 246781079.
- ^ Mukherjee, A K; Ramakrishnan, A R; Jambunathan, R (1981). "Cyclones and Depressions over the Indian Seas in 1979" (PDF). Mausam. 32 (2): 115–126. doi:10.54302/mausam.v32i2.3398. S2CID 246848511.
- ^ a b c Mukherjee, A K; Ramakrishnan, A R; Jambunathan, R. "Cyclones and Depressions over Indian Seas in 1981" (PDF). Mausam. 34 (1): 1–8. doi:10.54302/mausam.v34i1.2029. S2CID 246915439.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "IMD Best track data 1982-2022" (xls). India Meteorological Department. A guide on how to read the database is available here.
- ^ Das, Nooton; Rao, M R M; Biswas, N C. "Cyclones and Depressions over Indian Seas and the Indian sub-continent during 1987" (PDF). Mausam. 38 (1): 1–8. doi:10.54302/mausam.v38i1.2629. S2CID 249004871.
- ^ Das, Nooton; Dessai, D S; Biswas, N C. "Cyclones and Depressions over Indian Seas and the Indian sub-continent during 1987" (PDF). Mausam. 40 (1): 1–8.
- ^ Report on Cyclonic Disturbances (Depressions and Tropical Cyclones) over North Indian Ocean in 2017 (PDF) (Report). India Meteorological Department. April 2018. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
- ^ a b c Report on Cyclonic Disturbances (Depressions and Tropical Cyclones) over North Indian Ocean in 2018 (PDF) (Report). India Meteorological Department. July 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- ^ Very Severe Cyclonic Storm "Vaya" over the Arabian Sea (PDF) (Report). India Meteorological Department. July 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- ^ Very Severe Cyclonic Storm "Hikka" over eastcentral and adjoining northeast Arabian Sea (PDF) (Report). India Meteorological Department. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- ^ Very Severe Cyclonic Storm "Bulbul" over the Bay of Bengal (PDF) (Report). India Meteorological Department. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- ^ Khanra, Sujoy; Mandal, Suman; Konar, Debashis (May 29, 2021). "Initial Cyclone Yaas damage Rs 20,000 crore, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee tells PM Modi". The Times of India. Retrieved 2021-05-29.