IMD predicts another low-pressure area in Bay of Bengal on June 8

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 5

Just a fortnight after cyclone ‘Amphan’ slammed the eastern coast of the country, a fresh “low-pressure area” is again taking shape in the Bay of Bengal.

“The low-pressure area is likely to develop over east-central Bay of Bengal around June 8,” the IMD said on Friday, even as the remnants of the “severe” Cyclone ‘Nisarga’, which arrived over the western coastline in Mumbai two days ago, hover as a low-pressure area over the northeast Madhya Pradesh and its neighbourhood.

Under its influence, light to moderate fairly widespread rain/thundershowers is “very likely over northeast Madhya Pradesh, east Uttar Pradesh and north Chhattisgarh” till June 6.  Isolated thunderstorm and lightning are also “very likely over these areas during the next 24 hours”.

Super cyclone ‘Amphan’ and “severe” cyclone ‘Nisarga’ are both indicative of “above normal” sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) in the Indian Ocean and also the trend of increased cyclonic activity in the pre-monsoon period in the Indian Ocean.

The Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea have both been witnessing “above normal” cyclogenesis in the past two years, boosted by “anomalously warm ocean temperatures”.

In the case of ‘Amphan’ as well as ‘Nisarga’, anomalously warm ocean temperatures were seen. While temperatures in the Bay of Bengal were between 30 to 33°C prior to ‘Amphan’, SSTs over the Arabian Sea was recorded 30 to 32°C.

Experts say climate change is increasing the damage caused by cyclones such as ‘Nisarga’ and ‘Amphan’ in several ways.

Higher SSTs make cyclones more powerful and increase rainfall during the storm. They increase sea levels which, in turn, increases the distance inland storm surges reach. It is the densely populated coastal cities such as Mumbai and Kolkata which will face the brunt due to the unplanned urban development with the destruction of mangroves acting as a buffer.