 "Cyclone Mocha")
A low-pressure area is expected to form on Monday and then develop into a depression due to a cyclonic circulation that lies over the southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining south Andaman Sea, said the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).
“Thereafter, it is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm while moving nearly northwards towards the central Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Andaman Sea,” the IMD bulletin read. This weather system will be called Cyclone Mocha (pronounced ‘Mokha’).
On Monday, squally weather with wind speeds reaching 40-50 kmph and gusting to 60 kmph is expected to prevail over the southeast Bay of Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the adjacent Andaman Sea.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall and Squally winds over Andaman & Nicobar Islands during 08th to 12th May pic.twitter.com/Adnqc8nU1w
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 7, 2023
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IMD Director-General G Mrutunjay Mohapatra added that details on Mocha's possible cyclonic path and intensification will be provided after the formation of the low-pressure area.
Until then, the system is being constantly monitored, he said.
The weather office also stated that the sea conditions are likely to be very rough from May 10 to May 12, and that moderate rainfall is expected in most places between May 8 and 12, with scattered heavy to very heavy precipitation.
IMD issues advisory
The IMD bulletin has advised those over the southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining south Andaman Sea to return to safer areas before May 9, and those over the central Bay of Bengal and north Andaman Sea to do the same.
Further, the Met Department has requested that tourism, offshore activities, and shipping near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands be restricted from 8 to 12 May.
Meanwhile, the Odisha government has declared a state of emergency in 18 coastal and neighbouring districts. Collectors in the affected districts have also been asked to keep an eye on the IMD's forecasts.
What exactly is a cyclone and how do they form?
A cyclone is a low-pressure system that forms over warm water. A high temperature anywhere usually indicates the presence of low-pressure air, while a low temperature indicates the presence of high-pressure wind. But what does this mean?
These variations are due to how ascending and descending air behaves, according to the Met Office website in the United Kingdom.
As air warms over hotter regions, it rises, causing low pressure to develop at the surface it is covering. When colder air cools, it descends, causing high pressure at the surface. When there is a depression or low pressure, the air rises and blows anticlockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere. This is because of the Coriolis effect, a result of the earth's rotation on its axis.
As warm air rises and cools, water vapour condenses to form clouds, which can lead to rain.
How are cyclones named?
The regional specialised meteorological centres (RSMCs) and Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs) name cyclones that form in all ocean basins around the world. The world has six RSMCs, including the India Meteorological Department (IMD), and five TCWCs.
Following a standard procedure, the IMD names cyclones developing over the north Indian Ocean, including the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. The IMD is also tasked with issuing advisories on the development of cyclones and storms to 12 other countries in the region.
This cyclone will be named Mocha (Mokha), a name suggested by Yemen after the Red Sea port city, which is known to have introduced coffee to the world over 500 years ago.
