A tropical cyclone named “Asani” has emerged in the Bay of Bengal area and was moving towards the eastern coast of India. As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclonic storm is recurving away from the east coast states of India i.e. Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal. It is a “Severe” tropical cyclone which is a weather phenomenon which is characterised by a rapidly rotating storm system, a low-pressure center, strong winds and thunderstorms that produce heavy rain.
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Cyclone Asani UPSC Notes PDF –Download PDF Here
About Cyclone Asani
This year’s cyclone Asani is the first cyclonic storm of the season. Sri Lanka has named it. In Sinhalese, asani denotes wrath. The storms are termed after the multiple nations that are devastated by them each year. That’s why, in the year 2020, a list of 169 names was issued. There were 13 names submitted from 13 different nations. As it is Sri Lanka’s turn this time, the name Asani was chosen. Thailand will name the next storm which will impact the shores, followed by India. India’s future names include Ghurni, Probaho, Jhar, and Murasu.
About Tropical Cyclones
A tropical cyclone is a powerful circular storm which forms above warmer tropical marine waters and is marked by low air pressure, strong winds, and heavy downpours. The eye, a centre region of bright skies, hot temperatures, and low air pressure, is a distinguishing feature of tropical cyclonic storms. In the North Atlantic as well as Eastern Pacific, these storms are known as hurricanes, whereas in Southeast Asia and China, they are known as typhoons. In the southwestern Pacific and Indian Ocean, they’re known as tropical cyclones, and in northwest Australia, they’re known as Willy-willies. Hurricanes in the northern latitudes revolve counterclockwise, whereas those in the southern ones rotate clockwise.
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Prerequisite Conditions for Tropical Cyclones
The following are necessary preconditions for tropical cyclonic storm development and intensification:
- Huge surface area with ambient temperature above 27 degrees Celsius.
- Strong Coriolis force.
- Little differences in the vertical wind speed.
- A weak low pressure region or low level cyclonic rotation that already exists.
- Just above sea – surface system, there is a higher divergence.
Classification
Cyclones are classified by the maximum sustained surface wind speed (MSW) they produce, according to the IMD. following are the four types of classification standards used by IMD:
- Severe cyclones (MSW 86.4 – 113.4 kmph )
- Very severe cyclones (MSW 115.2 – 160.2 kmph )
- Extremely severe cyclones (MSW 162 – 214.2 kmph )
- Super cyclonic storms (MSW 216 kmph and above)
Cyclones in India
The cyclone period in India happens twice a year, from March to May and from October to December. Cyclones do, on exceptional instances, strike between the months of June and September. Tropical cyclones generally appear in the North Indian Ocean (Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea) during the pre-monsoon (April to June) as well as post-monsoon (October to December) seasons. Storms of severe intensity are reported to hit the Indian shores around May – June and October – November.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Cyclone Asani:
Will Asani hit West Bengal?
Where will Cyclone Asani hit?
What is cyclone bomb?
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