2016 North Indian cyclone season and special Vardah post.
2016 NORTH INDIAN CYCLONE SEASON AND CYCLONE VARDAH
It was the deadliest season since 2010, killing more than 400 people. The season was an average one, seeing four named storms, with one further intensifying into a very severe cyclonic storm. The first named storm, Roanu, developed on 19 May while the season's last named storm, Vardah, dissipated on 18 December.
1. CYCLONE ROANU [TROPICAL STORM]
DURATION: 17 May - 22 May
It was at its peak intensity of about 85km/h, 983hpa[mbar] lowest pressure.
Under the influence of a trough, a low pressure area formed over the Bay of Bengal. It slowly consolidated, prompting the IMD to classify it as a depression.
It took straight northward track and later took NNE direction.
LANDFALL: NW of Chittagong, Bangladesh.
It's outer bands made heavy rains to Kolkata.
2. DEPRESSION ARB 01 [TROPICAL STORM]
DURATION: 27 Jun - 29 Jun
It was at its peak intensity of about 45km/h, 996hpa[mbar] lowest pressure.
it took westward track and suddenly dissipated due to high wind shear.
3. DEEP DEPRESSION BOB 02 [MONSOON]
DURATION: 16 August- 20 August.
It was at its peak intensity of about 55km/h, 994hpa[mbar] lowest pressure.
A low pressure area formed over the Bay of Bengal in mid-August 2016.
LANDFALL: Digha- Diamond Harbour, West Bengal
RAINFALL RECORDED:
Chandbali- 145mm
Balasore- 90mm
4. CYCLONIC STORM KYANT [TROPICAL STORM]
DURATION: 21 Oct- 28 Oct
It was at its peak intensity of about 75km/h, 996hpa[mbar] lowest pressure.
IMD and JWTC reported that the storm had reached tropical cyclone strength, with the IMD naming it Kyant. Initially following a northeastward path, the storm re-curved westward off the coast of Myanmar, along the southern periphery of a subtropical ridge, towards the eastern coast of India.
It did not made landfall and was lastly seen as a well marked low pressure near the South Andhra Pradesh coasts.
5. DEPRESSION BOB 04
DURATION: 2 Nov - 6 Nov
It was at its peak intensity of about 45km/h, 997hpa[mbar] lowest pressure.
An area of convection persisted in the Gulf of Thailand
It moved N-NE, however due to high wind shear, weakened gradually and made its weak landfall near Southern Bangladesh.
6. CYCLONIC STORM NADA [ TROPICAL STORM]
DURATION: 29 Nov- 2 Dec
It was at its peak of about75km/h, 1000hpa[mbar] lowest pressure.
Under the influence of a trough, a low-pressure area formed in the extreme southeastern part of the Bay of Bengal in late November. The low pressure area slowly consolidated, until it strengthened into Depression BOB 05. This was followed by the JTWC issuing a TCFA for the system, while the storm quickly intensified into a deep depression.
The cyclone encountered high wind shear and weakened as a depression/ low pressure making landfall near Karaikal, Tamilnadu coasts.
RAINFALL RECORDED:
Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu- 110mm [24 hrs]
Jaffna, Srilanka- 110mm
Tirupati AP, Andhra Pradesh- 272mm
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VERY SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM VARDAH [CAT-2 CYCLONE]
DURATION: 6 Dec - 13 Dec
Peak intensity varies from 130-155km/h, with lowest pressure being 975MB .
Cyclone Vardah which originated as a low pressure area over the Malay Peninsula, adjoining north Sumatra, December 2016. Crossing off off the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as a deep depression,heavy rains fell in Port Blair and other islands accumlating about 150-200mm.
With conditions favorable for further development, Vardah intensified into a severe cyclonic storm. Gradually intensifying as it moved westward, On 12 December, Vardah made landfall near Chennai city and weakened rapidly.
But IMD failed to pick the track of cyclone vardah expected it to make landfall in Kakinada, North Andhra Pradesh coasts. However, changing the landfall location gradually to Nellore- Kakinada, and to Chennai- Nellore stretch.
Vardah was one of the worst cyclone Chennai has faced, consecutively after the 2015 Great Chennai floods which made people of Chennai and its surroundings to follow weather and those 2 years probably made many weather bloggers ticking from every parts of Tamilnadu. Now, Tamilnadu has highest amount of weather bloggers/ enthusiasts in India, secondly Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bangalore.
It is easy to say that IMD department failed to predict accurately like other countries like US, Japan, London. We could have a doubt raising in ourselves how when UK Met department says rains will occur at this time during a cricket match and accurately rains too happen at that particular time. Another example, how when GFS predicts hurricane formation in other basins are right and why only our basin is not been predicted accuartely like other basins.
India lies in the tropical region where weather predictions are really hard to predict especially thunderstorm rains and monsoon earlier unlike US, UK which does not come under tropics.
Well, Vardah made its successful journey of entering Arabian Sea as a depression which later degenerated as a well mark low and had its last brush on Somalia coasts.
Some pictures which were took during the landfall of Vardah in Chennai.
THE END
Good info Sir. I have a question, "How much did Chennai score from Cyclone Vardah and which areas recorded the highest rainfall ?".
ReplyDeleteone place near South Chennai got 400mm during landfall.
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