Cyclone Asani, which is expected to hit the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Monday evening, is only the ninth cyclone that has formed in the month of March since 1891. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), only eight cyclones – six in the Bay of Bengal and two in the Arabian Sea – have formed between 1891 and 2020.
Cyclones, as per the weather department, form during the pre-monsoon months, which is generally in April and May, and the formation of cyclone Asani is a rare occasion.
Why a cyclone does not form in March?
Explaining the reasons why a cyclone does not form in March, the IMD said that March is a month when the seasonal transition from winter to summer takes place. It said that this transition is “not sufficient warm enough to fuel a strong cyclone”.
“Climatologically March is not cyclone season. It is April and May. The ocean is cooler in March and solar insolation is not very high. In March, westerly systems are predominant in the northern parts of the country and easterly waves are predominant over the Peninsular region,” Hindustan Times quoted a senior IMD official as saying.
Asani only 9th cyclone to have formed in March since 1891. Here’s why it’s an exception | Jagran Explainer
New Delhi/ Port Blair | Jagran News Desk: Cyclone Asani, which is expected to hit the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Monday evening, is only the ninth cyclone that has formed in the month of March since 1891. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), only eight cyclones – six in the Bay of Bengal and two in the Arabian Sea – have formed between 1891 and 2020.
Why cyclone Asani has formed in March?
The Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS), according to the Hindustan Times, has claimed that the temperature over the Bay of Bengal and northern Andaman sea is “warmer than normal” which is why cyclone Asani has formed in March. According to the CIMSS, the sea surface temperature over the Bay of Bengal is currently hovering around 30 degrees Celsius.
The IMD has said that due to cyclone Asani, the southeast Bay of Bengal and Andaman sea will be “very rough”, advising the suspension of all tourism and fishing activities for the next two days. Amid this, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel have been deployed in the region to carry out rescue operations if needed.
