The India Meteorological Department (IMD), the country’s premier weather agency, has announced that a deep depression that formed over the southeast Arabian Sea will likely intensify into a severe cyclonic storm, and then into a very severe cyclonic storm in the next 24 hours. This storm has been named Cyclone Biparjoy.

The cyclone was named ‘Biparjoy’ by Bangladesh. The word essentially means ‘disaster’ or ‘calamity’. This name was adopted by World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) countries in 2020 and it also includes all the tropical cyclones that form over the North Indian Ocean, including the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.

It is worth noting that cyclones are named depending on the regional rules. The system of naming cyclones has been formed by WMO and member countries of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission (ESCAP).

According to this system, the names of tropical cyclones forming in the Northern Indian Ocean are listed alphabetically by country and are gender-neutral.

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MD warns deep depression likely to intensify into cyclonic storm by tonight

IMD informed about Cyclone Biparjoy in its morning bulletin on Wednesday morning. “The cyclonic storm ‘Biparjoy’ over east-central and adjoining southeast Arabian Sea remained practically s stationary during last 3 hours and lay centred at 0230 hours IST of 7th June 2023 over the same region near latitude 12.5°N and longitude 66.0°E, about 900 km west-southwest of Goa,” read IMD’s bulletin.

Cyclonic storm “Biparjoy” over eastcentral and adjoining southeast Arabian Sea at 0230 IST of 07 June near lat 12.5°N and lon 66.0°E, about 900km WSW of Goa. Likely to move nearly northwards and intensify into SCS during next 06 hour.@WMO@ndmaindia@DDNewslive@airnewsalerts pic.twitter.com/jXdgDJcHFR

— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) June 7, 2023

According to a report by The Indian Express, the intensity and subsequent movement of Cyclone Biparjoy can critically influence the onset of monsoon towards the Kerala coast.

The IMD has added that the depression is currently located about 930 km west-southwest of Goa and 1,060 km south-southwest of Mumbai and it is closely monitoring the path of Cyclone Biparjoy and will issue advisories accordingly.

The sea conditions are likely to be very high along and off the Kerala-Karnataka coasts and Lakshadweep area on June 6 and Konkan-Goa-Maharashtra coasts from June 8 to June 10, IMD said.

Meanwhile, people living in coastal areas have been advised to prepare for possible flooding and for other impacts from the cyclone.

Cyclone Biparjoy is the second cyclone to form in the North Indian Ocean in the last few weeks. Last month, Cyclone Mocha formed in the Bay of Bengal and hit the coastlines of Bangladesh and Myanmar.

(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)

First Published:Jun 7, 2023 11:17 AM IST