India
oi-Madhuri Adnal
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday said that a deep depression over the southeast Arabian Sea had intensified into a cyclonic storm named Biparjoy.
According to the IMD, the storm is expected to move in a northward direction and gradually intensify into a severe cyclonic storm.
The name Biparjoy was given by Bangladesh, meaning calamity or disaster. This name was adopted by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) countries in 2020 and applies to all tropical cyclones forming over the North Indian Ocean, including the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. The naming of cyclones follows regional rules and guidelines.
As for the trajectory of Cyclone Biparjoy, the IMD predicts that it will continue its northward movement and further intensify. The latest bulletin from the IMD stated, “The deep depression over the southeast and adjoining east-central Arabian Sea moved nearly northwards with a speed of 4 kmph, intensified into a cyclonic storm ‘Biparjoy’ (pronounced as ‘Biporjoy’) and lay centered about 920 km west-southwest of Goa, 1050 km southwest of Mumbai, 1130 km south-southwest of Porbandar, and 1430 km south of Karachi at 1730 hours.”
Weather Update: Cyclone Formation in Arabian Sea May Delay Onset of Monsoon in Kerala
The cyclone is expected to have significant impacts on the sea conditions. The IMD warns of very high sea conditions along the Kerala-Karnataka coasts and the Lakshadweep-Maldives areas on June 6, followed by the Konkan-Goa-Maharashtra coasts from June 8 to June 10.
In light of the approaching cyclone, the IMD has issued an advisory to fishermen, urging them to return to the coast and take necessary precautions.
Additionally, the formation and intensity of the low-pressure system in the Arabian Sea are expected to cause a delay in the onset of the monsoon season in Kerala. Skymet Weather, a weather agency, had previously forecasted that the monsoon would arrive on June 8 or June 9, but it is now anticipated to have a subdued and gradual onset.