More cyclones now storming India’s coastlines, Arabian Sea in turmoil

Studies suggest that changing climate patterns have resulted in an increase in the frequency of severe cyclones over the Arabian Sea in recent years.

Extremely severe cyclonic storm “Tauktae” has hit India’s western coast and claimed at least eight lives so far, apart from causing widespread misery. At a time the country is struggling with a massive spread of Covid-19, the cyclonic storm has flashed a double-edged sword to people in the western coastal areas. Though cyclones are not new to India, its average frequency has increased in recent years. India faced three cyclones in 2017, seven in 2018, eight in 2019 and five in 2020. Together, they have killed over 500 people near India’s coastlines. “In the recent past, an increase in frequency has been observed in the formation of cyclones in the North Indian Ocean. Also, studies show an increase in frequency of severe cyclones over the Arabian Sea in recent years,” Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences told the Lok Sabha on September 23, 2020.