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Know more about Cyclone Michaung: Threat, Intensity, and Live Updates!

PWOnlyIAS December 05, 2023 11:47 1613 0

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Cyclone Michaung threatens India's southeast, causing severe impact with heavy rains, flooding, and property loss. Stay informed with live updates on its path and intensity.

Know more about Cyclone Michaung: Threat, Intensity, and Live Updates!

Context: According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone Michaung is expected to make landfall near Bapatla district of Andhra Pradesh at around 12 pm on December 5. 

Cyclone Michaung: Red Alert, Landfall Projections, and Devastating Impact in Chennai

  • Warning: Meteorological officials have issued a red alert to parts of the states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, which come on the path of Cyclone Michaung.
  • Affected Areas: The Cyclone Michaung is likely to make landfall on the coast of Andhra Pradesh state between Nellore and Machilipatnam, close to Bapatla.
    • Currently, Cyclone Michaung  is north of the city of Chennai. This has resulted in heavy rains and gusty winds in the city.
  • Catastrophic Impact in Chennai:  
    • Many areas in the city have been submerged. There has been massive loss of property due to water logging in residential areas.
    • The Chennai airport has been shut down due to excessive rains.
    • About six people have lost their lives, with the causes of death being falling structures and electrocution. 

Cyclone Michaung

Cyclone Michaung – From Tropical Storm to Severe Cyclone – Threats of Heavy Rains, Surges, and Flooding

  • About: Michaung is a tropical storm, which is currently centred around 80 km southeast of Nellore and 120 km north-northeast of Chennai, and moving along Andhra Pradesh coast.

Cyclone Michaung

  • Features:
    • IMD had predicted that Michaung would remain a ‘tropical cyclone’ (wind speeds between 62 kph to 87 kph) until it crossed the coast of Andhra Pradesh.
    • However, IMD upgraded it to the intensity of a ‘severe’ storm (wind speeds between 88 kph to 166 kph).
  • Reason for Intensification: It is believed that Michaung was strengthened due to above-normal value of the heat index off the southern Andhra Pradesh coast.
  • Warning Issued by IMD:
    • Heavy Rains: Rains accompanying the storm are expected to cause widespread crop damage to standing crops that are nearing harvest, as a result of extremely heavy rainfall.
    • Storm Surges: Storm surges and tidal waves are predicted as the cyclone approaches the coast. Strong winds with speeds of 90 kph to 110 kph may be experienced.
    • Flooding: The rains can also cause flash floods in low lying areas of the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Conditions and Occurrence of Tropical Storms in the Indian Ocean Region

  • About: Also known as cyclonic storm or cyclone, tropical storm is a rapidly rotating low pressure system, which originates over tropical areas.
    • It is characterized by a closed low-pressure center, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that bring heavy rainfall along its edges.
  • Conditions for formation:
    • Sea Temperature: A sea surface temperature must be higher than 27° C for formation of tropical cyclones.
    • Location: Tropical cyclones usually form between Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn where the temperature is optimum.
    • Coriolis force: The cyclonic conditions require presence of the Coriolis force. Hence cyclones are formed away from the equator.
    • Vertical wind speed: The vertical wind speed must have small variations.
    • Upper divergence: A well developed divergence in the upper layers of the atmosphere will help in the rising of air currents within the cyclone, allowing low pressure to be maintained at the center.
    • High humidity: High humidity (around 50 to 60 per cent) is needed in the mid-troposphere for the formation of cumulonimbus cloud.
  • Occurrence: On an average, about five cyclones develop in the North Indian Ocean region (the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea) every year.
    • On an average, four cyclones develop over the Bay of Bengal and one over the Arabian Sea. However, Arabian Sea cyclones often reach higher intensities and can cause widespread damage.
  • Most Suitable Time: The region is prone to cyclone development during the pre-monsoon (April-June) and post-monsoon (October-December) months.
    • Cyclones that form in May and November have the potential to reach higher intensities than storms that form at other times due to favourable conditions.
  • Changing Situation: Storms that develop over the North Indian Ocean in December don’t usually attain destructive intensities due to unfavourable ocean conditions.
    • Hence, high-intensity cyclones such as Michaung are not common at this time of the year.

Cyclone Michaung

Factors Driving Tropical Storm Intensification: The Crucial Role of Ocean Heat and Beyond

  • Role of Heat: Tropical cyclones are fueled by ocean heat, with temperatures of 26 degrees Celsius or more, prevailing at depths between 50 metres and 100 metres, being conducive for cyclogenesis.
    • Warm oceans contribute to a cyclone’s rapid intensification at sea. In this regard, Tropical Cyclone Heat Potential (TCHP) is considered an important factor in cyclone genesis, intensification, and propagation.
  • Other factors: Apart from ocean heat, other factors such as boundary layers (the fluid layer adjacent to a bounding surface), wind shear (changes in wind direction and/or speed over a vertical or horizontal distance), convection (transfer of heat within a fluid), Rossby waves (which occur in rotating fluids), upper ocean circulation, and air-sea interaction have a major role in cyclone intensification.

Conclusion:

In recent times, Cyclonic storms do not follow a fixed pattern in terms of occurrence or intensity. This is due to events of climate change that are affecting global climatic conditions over both land and oceans.

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Cyclone Michaung FAQs

Cyclone Michaung is currently threatening India’s South-eastern coast, causing widespread destruction.

The storm is likely to make landfall on the coast of Andhra Pradesh state between Nellore and Machilipatnam, close to Bapatla.

It is believed that Michaung was strengthened due to above-normal value of the heat index off the southern Andhra Pradesh coast.

Also known as cyclonic storm or cyclone, tropical storm is a rapidly rotating low pressure system, which originates over tropical areas. It is characterized by a closed low-pressure center, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that bring heavy rainfall along its edges.

The Indian Ocean Region is prone to cyclone development during the pre-monsoon (April-June) and post-monsoon (October-December) months.

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