India braces for rare 'twin cyclones,' first since 2018: IMD
What's the story
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that the country will likely witness rare twin cyclones in the coming days—a phenomenon last witnessed in 2018, India Today reported.
While Cyclone Tej is predicted to develop into a "severe cyclonic storm" in the Arabian Sea on Sunday afternoon, Cyclone Hamoon is currently in its early stages in the Bay of Bengal.
The IMD also projected that Cyclone Tej will head toward the southern coast of Oman and neighboring Yemen.
Twitter Post
Twin cyclones for first time since 2018: Expert
Rare twin cyclones to form again in Arabian Sea & Bay of Bengal after 2018.
— Chennai Weatherman (@chennaisweather) October 20, 2023
Cyclone Tej will form over Arabian Sea and move far away to the Yemen/Oman coast next week, so no threat for us in Indian landmass.
Another one in the Bay, Cyclone Hamoon will approach close to the… pic.twitter.com/gNDmJAPoX7
Insights
Cyclone Tej to intensify into 'severe cyclonic storm': IMD
The IMD said that Cyclone Tej has intensified into a cyclonic storm and is likely to become a "severe cyclonic storm" by Sunday afternoon, per ANI.
The storm over the Arabian Sea is expected to pass between Al Ghaidah (Yemen) and Salalah (Oman) around the early morning of Wednesday (October 25).
Notably, their naming adheres to a formula established for cyclones in the Indian Ocean Region.
Details
Cyclone Hamoon's development, impact
The IMD's Amaravati center in Andhra Pradesh reportedly identified a "low-pressure zone" over the southwest and southeast Bay of Bengal, which is expected to strengthen into a depression over the west-central Bay of Bengal on Monday.
Per private weather forecasting agency Skymet, Cyclone Hamoon will likely evolve into a cyclonic storm by Tuesday.
Both cyclones would, however, have little effect on the weather, except for minor changes in the Chennai and coastal Tamil Nadu regions as they move further away.
What Next?
Evening thunderstorm rains likely in Kerala, Tamil Nadu
Although cyclones Tej and Hamoon are projected to have a limited impact on weather patterns in India, evening thunderstorm rains are anticipated to continue in Kerala and interior Tamil Nadu, as per Skymet.
Moreover, the concurrent appearance of tropical storms on opposite sides of the Indian coastline is said to be an "uncommon occurrence."
If these storms materialize, they will likely be separated by a significant distance of 2,500km and will follow different trajectories.