Cyclone 'Tej' likely to turn into 'severe cyclonic storm' tomorrow; here's all you need to know

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the brewing cyclone 'Tej' in the Arabian Sea is turning into a ‘cyclonic storm’ today (Saturday) and is expected to turn into a ‘severe cyclonic storm’ on Sunday.

A cyclonic storm is characterised by a maximum sustained wind speed of 62-88 kmph, while it is termed a severe cyclonic storm if the maximum sustained wind speed reaches 89-117 km per hour.

On Friday, the weather agency had said that a low-pressure area over the southeast and the adjoining southwest Arabian Sea has developed into a depression and is expected to intensify into a cyclonic storm by October 21.

Cyclone Tej: All you need to know

1. This would be the second cyclonic storm in the Arabian Sea this year. It will be called 'Tej', according to a formula followed for naming cyclones in the Indian Ocean Region.

2. The cyclonic storm is predicted to further intensify into a severe cyclonic storm on Sunday and move toward the south coasts of Oman and adjoining Yemen, according to the IMD.

3. Meteorologists, however, caution that at times, storms may deviate from the predicted track and intensity, as seen in the case of cyclone Biparjoy, which formed in the Arabian Sea in June and initially moved in a north-northwest direction before changing course to make landfall between Mandvi in Gujarat and Karachi in Pakistan.

4. Manorama Mohanty, director of the Meteorological Centre in Ahmedabad, said, "It is expected to turn into a severe cyclonic storm by the evening of October 22 and move towards the south Oman and Yemen coast."

"Since the cyclone would move towards west-northwest, it may not have any impact on Gujarat (which lies to the east). Weather in Gujarat will remain dry for the next seven days," she added, as per PTI.

5. “Moderate to rough sea condition is likely to prevail in the Southwest, west-central, and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal on October 21 and is expected to become rough to very rough on October 23," the IMD said.

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