Hudhud, first cyclonic storm of the season to hit the Indian coast is likely to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm, before making landfall by the wee hours of October 11. Last year, Phailin had lashed Gopalpur in Ganjam district of Odisha, with strong winds blowing at about 200- 220 kmph at landfall. Phailin was one of the strongest tropical cyclones that ever made landfall in India and left behind a trail of destruction after making landfall on October 12, 2013.
Cyclones are caused by atmospheric disturbances around a low-pressure area and are usually accompanied by violent storms and bad weather in severe cases.
The types of disturbances that form in the sea, according to their severity order, are:
- Low Pressure
- Depression
- Deep Depression
- Cyclonic Storm
- Severe Cyclonic Storm
- Very Severe Cyclonic Storm, and
- Super Cyclone
The Indian subcontinent is one of the worst affected regions in the world. The subcontinent with a long coastline of 8,041 kilometers is exposed to nearly 10% of the world’s tropical cyclones.
Intensity of storms depends on various factors; sea surface temperature (SST), being a major parameter. The Indian seas end at about 25°N latitude and thus, none of the tropical storms travel beyond 25°N latitude. On the other hand, Hurricanes and Typhoons travel beyond 30°N latitude. As storms enter the cooler northern latitudes, they stand brighter chances of fizzling out due to lower temperatures.
Thus, origination of a storm also plays a role in its intensity. Warmer the sea surface temperature (SST), brighter are the chances of storms to pick up strength. Cyclones keep gathering strength while Hurricanes and Typhoons lose strength after travelling through cooler waters.
