BENGALURU: Last year, 12 synoptic disturbances were formed in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. However, Karnataka saw less rainfall because of the El Nino effect, as the systems sucked up all the moisture from the land.
This was not all that caught the attention of weathermen and experts. It was also the number of systems forming in the Arabian Sea. They forecast that in the coming years, more systems will form in the Arabian Sea due to climatic conditions, which is a matter of concern.
According to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the year 2023 saw 12 synoptic scale disturbances -- three depressions, three deep depressions, one cyclonic storm, one severe cyclonic storm, one very severe cyclonic storm and three excessively severe cyclonic storms. It also noted that of six cyclones formed last year, two were in the Arabian Sea and four in the Bay of Bengal.
In 2022, there were 10 disturbances above the intensity of depression in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, of which one was a cyclonic storm and two were severe cyclonic storms. IMD officials said there were fewer systems in the Arabian Sea. In 2021, there were 10 systems of which one was an extremely severe cyclonic storm, one a very severe cyclonic storm, one was a severe cyclonic storm and one a cyclonic storm.
“The intensity of the systems was more in 2023, but the frequency was less. The main criteria for the formation of systems is the rise in sea surface temperature, 26 degrees Celsius and above, leading to the formation of a cyclone. Usually, more systems form in the Bay of Bengal than in the Arabian Sea because the Sun has to heat a smaller area. This year, we saw an increase in the number of systems forming in the Arabian Sea.
In the coming days, the number of systems forming in the Arabian Sea will rise because of climatic changes, and will impact the monsoon and rain patterns on land, explained a senior IMD official.
Experts pointed out that the sea surface was also warming at a higher pace, due to which the sea level and volume were also rising. The frequency of cyclones in the Arabian Sea has also increased. There is also a rise in the height of waves, due to which coastal areas and aquatic species are getting affected.