CLIMATE CHANGE AND INCIDENCES OF TROPICAL CYCLONES IN COASTAL AREAS OF INDIA

Abstract

The northern Indian Ocean consists by two seas namely the Bay of Bengal in the east side and the Arabian Sea located to the west side. The tropical cyclone activity in the Bay of Bengal is generally higher than that of the Arabian Sea. But new research has been conducted recently showed a drastic shift in this trend of cyclone incidences. In Indian Ocean five Cyclones forms annually in the Bay of Bengal and only one Cyclone develops in the Arabian Sea. But now a days risk scenario is drastically changing, about two years back in May 2020 cyclone Amphan gathered energy from anomalously high sea surface temperatures in the Bay of Bengal, intensified and turned into a catastrophic cyclone within a one day. After a span of one week, Nisarga cyclone was formed over the Arabian Sea and struck into western coast of India. The western part of the tropical Indian Ocean has been warming for about a century, at a rate of very high that is faster than any other region of tropical oceans of the World. Tropical Cyclones draw their power from warm waters, which is why they form over warm pool regions where temperatures are more 28 degrees celsius. Tauktae clearly demonstrates the relationship between global warming and cycones origin. The Indian east coast and the coasts of Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka are more vulnerable to the incidence of tropical cyclones of the Bay of Bengal. The tropical cyclones wreak heavy loss of life and property in Bay of Bengal region every year.  The Global climate changes resulting from different type of anthropogenic activities are likely to noticeable itself in the weather and climate of the Bay of Bengal region also.