All ABOUT CYCLONE MICHAUNG

Cyclone Michaung has wreaked havoc in the eastern coastal parts of India and has come as a surprise to the people of South India as it has been considered unusual due to its timing in the month of December when usually such destructive levels aren’t reached by a cyclone. Cyclone Michaung is the fourth tropical Cyclone of the year over the bay of Bengal, previous ones were Mocha, Hamoom and Midhili.

Cyclone Michaung

Initially, the Indian meteorological department predicted Cyclone michaung to be a tropical Cyclone but later it ameliorated into a severe cyclonic storm with a speed of 88 to 166 km/hr. The Indian meteorological department also issued an orange alert for the areas of Tamil Nadu and coastal and interior parts of Andhra Pradesh due to potential landfall of Cyclone Michaung.

The state of Tamil Nadu had experienced incessant rains since the formation of low depression in the bay of Bengal. Life came to a virtual standstill in Chennai as water has inundated the streets of Chennai. And experienced its worst rains in the last 7 to 8 years. The city witnessed a repeat of the scenes that were witnessed 7 years ago when Cyclone Vardah lashed Chennai on December 12, 2016 . Due to the destruction caused and the sensitivity of the issue, the government of Tamil Nadu announced a public holiday. Cars were floating on roads , people were not able to get out of their houses, around 200 relief centers were made to rescue people, train services were disrupted and flights were diverted to the nearby states. Continuous rainfall and flooding affected crops in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. About 17 people lost their lives in Chennai owing to the cyclone and its effects. And after all this red alert was issued by the IMD.

THE NAME – MICHAUNG

The cyclone was named Michaung after the suggestion provided by Myanmar. And the word Michaung denotes strength and resilience.

Giving names to cyclones makes it easy to identify them and it helps in creating awareness regarding the particular cyclone in a particular region. It also helps the government and the people around to be aware and prepared for the upcoming danger.
Therefore, the naming of tropical cyclones started from September 2004 in the north Indian ocean.
A group of nations called World Meteorological Organization/United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific), which comprises Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand give names to cyclones. Inclusion of five other countries which are Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen was also presented during the 45th session of WMO/ESCAP in 2018 to to add the fresh list of tropical cyclones.

Naming cyclones makes it easier to remember them and to create awareness regarding the same.

The things which need to be kept in mind while choosing the names of the cyclone is that the name should be gender neutral and it should not hurt the sentiments of any gender or sex. Politics and political figures related should not be used , religious beliefs should not be hurt while shortlisting the name and cultures should not be affected while finalizing a name.

ABOUT CYCLONES

Any significant wind storm that rotates around a low-pressure core counterclockwise to the north of the Equator and clockwise to the south due to the coriolis effect is called a cyclone. A cyclone’s usual companions include strong storms and unfavorable weather.

The Greek term Cyclos, which refers to a snake’s coils, is where the word “cyclone” originates. Henry Peddington came up with the term because tropical storms in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal resemble spiraling sea serpents.

Conditions for the formation of cyclones

Cyclones are formed mainly on large surfaces of land like ocean or sea. The temperature of such a water body is required to be around 27°Celsius or above to create a low pressure zone. Presence of coriolis force i.e, a force which is born due to the rotation of earth. And this force deflects winds rightward in the northern hemisphere and leftward in the southern hemisphere.

Therefore, these are the essential factors which lead to the formation of a cyclone but there are other reasons too…
Cyclone Michaung is said to be the result of increased temperature and global warming.

Types of Cyclones

There are two types of Cyclones

• Tropical Cyclone
• Subtropical Cyclones

TROPICAL CYCLONE

Tropical Cyclones are the type of cyclones that form in the regions between tropic of cancer and tropic of Capricorn. They are one the most destructive Cyclones on earth. And are usually accompanied by violent storms and bad weather in the coastal areas. These cyclones are compact and circular winds spiral around a central region and cause heavy devastation.
The cyclones developing in the Arabian Sea are weaker than those of bay of Bengal as the water in Arabian Sea is colder than that in Bay of Bengal and therefore it doesn’t provide ideal conditions for a cyclone to occur.

And these are known by different names in different regions of the planet.
Like, Hurricane in USA and Mexico
Typhoon in China and Japan
Willy- willies in Australia
Cyclone in the Indian subcontinent.

EXTRATROPICAL CYCLONE

They are known as mid-latitude cyclones, extratropical cyclones occur outside the tropics, i.e., beyond the areas that fall under the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
They are made of cold air in their core and get their energy from the release of potential energy that occurs when cold and warm air masses meet, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
These cyclones consistently have one or more fronts connected to them. Their front is mainly stationary. They are less severe than the tropical cyclones as they do not occur frequently and are also less destructive. Because the areas in which they occur have cold weather mainly which is not an ideal condition for a cyclone to take its severe form.

Temperate cyclones can produce strong winds, a lot of rain or snow, and thunderstorms, to name a few meteorological characteristics.

IMPACTS OF CYCLONES

• It causes damage to infrastructure, buildings and houses.
• Can cause displacement of people and hamper their lives
• It leads to landslides, waterlogging and flooding.
• And it affects the economy of the country and leads to massive resource devastation.
• The aftermath of cyclones leads to mental distress to the people who have lost their belongings during the cyclone.
• The flora and fauna of that particular area is also severely affected.

Precautions that can be taken

First of all, we need to be aware and vigilant and should keep monitoring the warnings as it would help us to be aware of the incoming destruction. And should try to spread authentic news to others and should try to ignore rumors. We should be ready with an emergency kit which should contain important things like a first aid kit , torch, extra batteries, emergency food (dry food), candles, important documents like ID proof and ropes.
And as we are a responsible citizen of this country so we need to behave and act accordingly.

We should try to be away from low-lying beaches or other areas near the coast.
And most importantly we need to be calm and should not panic as it would only worsen the situation.

FAQ – CYCLONE