CYCLONE MADHILI (Syllabus: GS Paper 1 – Geography)

Context: Recently, experts have warned that two back-to-back Context: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recently announced that Cyclone Midhili has developed in the northwest Bay of Bengal during the early hours.

Cyclone Madhili

• About : It is a cyclonic storm that is expected to intensify over the Bay of Bengal.
• The storm is expected to cross the Bangladesh coast and bring heavy rainfall to West Bengal's coastal districts.
• The name Midhili was proposed by the Maldives.

Cyclone

• About: A cyclone is a large, rotating storm system with low pressure at its center. Cyclones can form in any ocean basin, but they are most common in the tropics. 
• Impacts: Cyclones can cause a variety of hazards, including strong winds, storm surges, and heavy rainfall.
• Types of Cyclones

oTropical cyclones: These are the most common type of cyclones. They form over warm, tropical oceans and are characterized by strong winds, heavy rainfall, and storm surges.

oExtratropical cyclones: These cyclones form over cooler waters and are not as strong as tropical cyclones. They are characterized by strong winds, heavy rainfall, and snow.

oMid-latitude cyclones: These cyclones form in the midlatitudes and are characterized by strong winds, heavy rainfall, and snow.

• The conditions favourable for the formation and intensification of tropical storms are: 

oLarge sea surface with temperature higher than 27° C; 

oPresence of the Coriolis force; 

oSmall variations in the vertical wind speed; 

oA pre-existing weak-low-pressure area or low-level-cyclonic circulation; 

oUpper divergence above the sea level system.