Cyclone Biparjoy: Potential Delay in Indian Monsoon Progress; Fishermen Alerted

New Delhi: Cyclone Biparjoy, the first storm of the 2023 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, has rapidly intensified into a severe cyclonic storm. While it is expected to miss India, it will likely cause weather disturbances and rainfall along the country’s western coast.

The cyclone is predicted to make landfall in Pakistan, potentially affecting the onset of the monsoon in Mumbai and the water reservoirs that rely on rainfall. The Indian Meteorological Department states that the cyclone will move northwards and intensify further before heading northwest. However, no significant impact on countries along the Arabian Sea, including India, is expected.

Fishermen have been advised against venturing into the seas, and warnings are anticipated for coastal areas. The cyclone’s influence may affect the progress of the monsoon in India, with rainfall expected in the southern peninsula due to the cyclonic storm and a low-pressure system in the Bay of Bengal. The monsoon’s advancement beyond the southern peninsula may be delayed until the cyclone degenerates.

Meteorologists suggest that the cyclone’s tentative track is northward, although storms can deviate from predicted paths. The cyclone has undergone rapid intensification, and climate change is believed to contribute to the increased intensity and duration of cyclonic storms in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.

Named ‘Biparjoy’ by weather forecasters, the cyclone derives its name from Bangladesh, meaning ‘disaster’ or ‘calamity’ in Bengali.