Cyclone Tauktae

Cyclone Tauktae

Cyclone Tauktae

  • Cyclone Tauktae, the cyclonic storm  has hit India, intensifying into an extremely severe cyclonic storm

Meaning of the name:  Tauktae

  • The name has been suggested by Myanmar.
  • The name comes from the Burmese language and it means a ‘gecko’ or a very hitch-pitched lizard.
  • A global panel, the World Meteorological Organisation/United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Panel on Tropical Cyclones – this world body also includes regional specialised meteorological centres as well as Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres.
  • It is this body that prepares the names of the cyclones/storms around the world. The regional centres are also responsible for issuing warning/advisories in that location.
  • India along with 12 other nations are members of this panel.
  • India’s IMD suggests names of future cyclones and also issues guidelines in case of a cyclone.
  • Other nations that are part of this network include Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Iran, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Qatar, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Cyclone Tauktae

  • Tauktae is a currently active and strengthening tropical cyclone threatening the state of Gujarat in India and impacting the states Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra.
  • It is the fourth cyclone in consecutive years to have developed in the Arabian Sea, that too in the pre-monsoon period (April to June).
  • After Cyclone Mekanu in 2018, which struck Oman, Cyclone Vayu in 2019 struck Gujarat, followed by Cyclone Nisarga in 2020 that struck Maharashtra.

Tropical cyclones

  • Tropical cyclones are violent storms that originate over oceans in tropical areas and move over to the coastal areas bringing about large scale destruction due to violent winds (squalls), very heavy rainfall (torrential rainfall) and storm surge.
  • They are irregular wind movements involving closed circulation of air around a low pressure center. This closed air circulation (whirling motion) is a result of rapid upward movement of hot air which is subjected to Coriolis force  The low pressure at the center is responsible for the wind speeds
  • The cyclonic wind movements are anti-clockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere (This is due to Coriolis force).
  • The cyclones are often characterized by existence of an anticyclone between two cyclones.

Conditions Favourable for Tropical Cyclone Formation

  1. Large sea surface with temperature higher than 27° C
  2. Presence of the Coriolis force enough to create a cyclonic vortex,
  3. Small variations in the vertical wind speed,
  4. A pre-existing weak low-pressure area or low-level-cyclonic circulation,
  5. Upper divergence above the sea level system
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