Super cyclonic storm is the 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 super cyclonic storm is defined as a tropical cyclone that has 3-minute mean maximum sustained wind speeds of at least 120 knots (220 km/h; 140 mph). The category was formally introduced during the 1999 season alongside Very Severe Cyclonic Storms, in order to replace the previously used Severe Cyclonic Storm with Core of Hurricane Winds. There have been at least nine storms that have attained such an intensity. The most recent super cyclonic storm was Cyclone Amphan in 2020 North Indian Ocean cyclone season.
The 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. [1] [2] Within the basin a Super Cyclonic Storm is defined as a tropical cyclone, that has 3-minute mean maximum sustained wind speeds of at least 120 knots (220 km/h; 140 mph). [1] [2] The category was introduced during 1999 alongside Very Severe Cyclonic Storms in order, to replace the previously used Severe Cyclonic Storm with Core of Hurricane Winds. [2] Should a Super Cyclonic Storm impact land at or near its peak intensity, then it is expected to cause large scale flooding and extensive structural damage to residential and industrial buildings as well as bridges. [3] It is also expected to disrupt communications and the power supply as well as large-scale disruption to rail and road traffic. [3]
Name | Dates as a super cyclonic storm [nb 1] | Duration | Sustained wind speeds | Pressure | Areas affected | Deaths | Damage (USD) [nb 2] | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Calcutta | October 1737 | Not Specified | Not Specified | Not Specified | West Bengal | 300,000 | Unknown | [4] |
Great Backerganj | October 29 - November 1, 1876 | Not Specified | 220 km/h (140 mph) | Not Specified | Bangladesh | 200,000 | Unknown | [5] |
Odisha | September 1885 | Not Specified | Not Specified | 919 hPa (27.14 inHg) | Odisha | 5,000 | Unknown | [4] |
Rameswaram | December 8, 1964 | Not Specified | 240 km/h (150 mph) | 970 hPa (28.64 inHg) | Sri Lanka, India | 1,800 | $150 million | [6] |
Myanmar | May 9 - 10, 1968 | 1 day | 220 km/h (140 mph) | 953 hPa (28.14 inHg) | Myanmar | 1,000 | [7] | |
Andhra Pradesh | November 18 - 19, 1977 | 1 day | 220 km/h (140 mph) | 943 hPa (27.85 inHg) | [8] | |||
Sri Lanka | November 23 - 24, 1978 | 1 day | 220 km/h (140 mph) | 938 hPa (27.70 inHg) | [9] | |||
Gay | November 1989 | Not Specified | 220 km/h (140 mph) | 930 hPa (27.46 inHg) | Thailand, Myanmar, India | 1,036 | $521 million | |
Andhra Pradesh | May 8, 1990 | 18 hours | 235 km/h (145 mph) | 920 hPa (27.17 inHg) | India | 967 | $600 million | [10] |
Bangladesh | April 29, 1991 | 1 day | 235 km/h (145 mph) | 918 hPa (27.11 inHg) | Bangladesh, Northeastern India, Myanmar | 138,866 | $1.7 billion | [11] |
Odisha | October 28 - 29, 1999 | 18 hours | 260 km/h (160 mph) | 912 hPa (26.93 inHg) | Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, India | 9,887 | $4.44 billion | [12] |
Gonu | June 6, 2007 | 6 hours | 240 km/h (150 mph) | 920 hPa (27.17 inHg) | Oman, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Pakistan | 78 | $4.44 billion | [13] |
Kyarr | October 27 - 29, 2019 | 2 days 3 hours | 240 km/h (150 mph) | 922 hPa (27.23 inHg) | Western India, Oman, United Arab Emirates Socotra, Somalia | 5 | Minimal | [14] |
Amphan | May 18 - 19, 2020 | 1 day | 240 km/h (150 mph) | 920 hPa (27.17 inHg) | Sri Lanka, Eastern India, Bangladesh | 128 | $14.3 billion |
Month | Number of storms |
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April | |
May | |
June | |
September | |
October | |
November | |
December |
Period | Number of storms |
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Pre-1960's | |
1960's | |
1970s | |
1980s | |
1990s | |
2000s | |
2010s | |
2020s |
In the Indian Ocean north of the equator, tropical cyclones can form throughout the year on either side of the Indian subcontinent, although most frequently between April and June, and between October and December.
The 1992 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was unofficially the most active year on record for the basin, with 10 tropical storms developing, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC). There are two main seas in the North Indian Ocean – the Bay of Bengal to the east of the Indian subcontinent – and the Arabian Sea to the west of India. The official Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre in this basin is the India Meteorological Department (IMD), while the JTWC releases unofficial advisories. An average of four to six storms form in the North Indian Ocean every season with peaks in May and November. Cyclones occurring between the meridians 45°E and 100°E are included in the season by the IMD.
Tropical cyclones are ranked on one of five tropical cyclone intensity scales, according to their maximum sustained winds and which tropical cyclone basins they are located in. Only a few classifications are used officially by the meteorological agencies monitoring the tropical cyclones, but other scales also exist, such as accumulated cyclone energy, the Power Dissipation Index, the Integrated Kinetic Energy Index, and the Hurricane Severity Index.
The 1999 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was an event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. The North Indian Ocean cyclone season has no official bounds, but cyclones tend to form between April and December, with peaks in May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northern Indian Ocean.
The 1993 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was the least active on record in the basin, with only four tropical disturbances. There are two main seas in the North Indian Ocean – the Bay of Bengal to the east of the Indian subcontinent and the Arabian Sea to the west. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued advisories for the systems in its official capacity as the local Regional Specialized Meteorological Center, while the Joint Typhoon Warning Center also issued advisories for two of the storms on an unofficial basis. Of the five disturbances tracked by the IMD, two intensified into cyclonic storms.
The 1975 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was part of the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. The season has no official bounds but cyclones tend to form between April and December. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northern Indian Ocean. There are two main seas in the North Indian Ocean—the Bay of Bengal to the east of the Indian subcontinent and the Arabian Sea to the west of India. The official Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre in this basin is the India Meteorological Department (IMD), while the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) releases unofficial advisories. An average of five tropical cyclones form in the North Indian Ocean every season with peaks in May and November. Cyclones occurring between the meridians 45°E and 100°E are included in the season by the IMD.
Cyclonic Storm Phyan developed as a tropical disturbance to the southwest of Colombo in Sri Lanka on November 4, 2009. Over the next couple of days, the disturbance gradually developed before weakening as it made landfall on Southern India on November 7. After the disturbance emerged into the Arabian Sea, it rapidly became more of a concern to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reporting early on November 9 that the disturbance had intensified into a Depression, and designated it as Depression ARB 03 whilst the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert. Later that day, the JTWC designated the system as Cyclone 04A. During the next day, the Depression turned towards the northeast the IMD reported that it had intensified into a Cyclonic Storm and named it as Phyan.
The 1963 North Indian Ocean cyclone season had no bounds, but cyclones tend to form between April and December, with peaks in May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northern Indian Ocean. There are two main seas in the North Indian Ocean—the Bay of Bengal to the east of the Indian subcontinent and the Arabian Sea to the west of India. The official Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre in this basin is the India Meteorological Department (IMD), while the Joint Typhoon Warning Center releases unofficial advisories. An average of four to six storms form in the North Indian Ocean every season with peaks in May and November. Cyclones occurring between the meridians 45°E and 100°E are included in the season by the IMD.
The 2019 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was the second most active North Indian Ocean cyclone season on record in terms of cyclonic storms, the 1992 season was more active according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The season featured 12 depressions, 11 deep depressions, 8 cyclonic storms, 6 severe cyclonic storms, 6 very severe cyclonic storms, 3 extremely severe cyclonic storms, and 1 super cyclonic storm, Kyarr, the first since Cyclone Gonu in 2007. Additionally, it also became the third-costliest season recorded in the North Indian Ocean, only behind the 2020 and 2008 seasons.
The 2020 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was the costliest North Indian Ocean cyclone season on record, mostly due to the devastating Cyclone Amphan. The North Indian Ocean cyclone season has no official bounds, but cyclones tend to form between April and November, with peaks in late April to May and October to November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northern Indian Ocean. The season began on May 16 with the designation of Depression BOB 01 in the Bay of Bengal, which later became Amphan. Cyclone Amphan was the strongest storm in the Bay of Bengal in 21 years and would break Nargis of 2008's record as the costliest storm in the North Indian Ocean. The season concluded with the dissipation of Cyclone Burevi on December 5. Overall, the season was slightly above average, seeing the development of five cyclonic storms.
The 2021 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was an average season, the North Indian Ocean cyclone season has no official bounds, but cyclones tend to form between April and December, peaking between May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northern Indian Ocean. The season began on April 2, when a depression designated as BOB 01 was formed in the north Andaman Sea and quickly made landfall in Myanmar. The basin remained quiet for over a month before Cyclone Tauktae formed. It rapidly intensified into an extremely severe cyclonic storm before making landfall in Gujarat, become the strongest storm ever to strike that state since the 1998 Gujarat cyclone. Later that month, BOB 02 formed and later strengthened into Cyclone Yaas. Yaas rapidly intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm before making landfall in northwestern Odisha. The season's strongest tropical cyclone was Cyclone Tauktae, with maximum wind speeds of 185 km/h (115 mph) and a minimum barometric pressure of 950 hPa (28.05 inHg).
The 2022 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was an event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. It was an above-average season in terms of depressions and average in terms of deep depressions, but slightly below average in terms of cyclonic storms. It was also the least deadly North Indian Ocean cyclone season since 1988, according to official data. The season's strongest tropical cyclone was Cyclone Asani, with maximum wind speeds of 100 km/h and a minimum barometric pressure of 982 hPa. The North Indian Ocean cyclone season has no official bounds, but cyclones tend to form between April and December, with the peak from May to November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northern Indian Ocean.
During 1994, tropical cyclones formed within seven different tropical cyclone basins, located within various parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. During the year, a total of 124 systems formed with 91 of these developing further and were named by the responsible warning centre. The strongest tropical cyclone of the year was Cyclone Geralda, which was estimated to have a minimum barometric pressure of 905 hPa (26.72 inHg). The deadliest tropical cyclone was Typhoon Fred, which caused 1,248 fatalities in China, while the costliest was Tropical Storm Sharon, which caused an estimated $5.27 billion USD in damage after striking Hong Kong, China and the Philippines. Five Category 5 tropical cyclones formed in 1994. The accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) index for the 1994, as calculated by Colorado State University was 1019 units.
Severe Cyclonic Storm Asani was a strong tropical cyclone that made landfall in India in May 2022. It was the strongest storm of 2022 North Indian Ocean cyclone season. The third depression and deep depression, and the first named storm of the 2022 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, Asani originated from a depression that the Indian Meteorological Department first monitored on May 7. Conditions rapidly favored development as the system became a deep depression by that day before intensifying to a Cyclonic Storm Asani. On the next day it further intensified and peak to a severe cyclonic storm, before making landfall as a deep depression system over Andhra Pradesh. It degenerated into a well marked low-pressure on May 12.