Context: Cyclone ‘Tej’, brewing over the Arabian Sea, is expected to transform into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm reported by India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Cyclone Tez
- The very severe cyclone, Tej, formed over the Arabian sea intensified into extremely severe cyclone.
- It is moving north-westwards, is likely to cross the Yemen coast close to Al Ghaidah as severe cyclonic storm with wind speed of 125-135 kmph gusting to 150 kmph.
Impact on India and development of Depression in Bay of Bengal
- Kerala is likely to receive isolated heavy rainfall triggered by the weather system over the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
- A yellow alert has been issued for eight districts from Kollam to Palakkad, warning of isolated heavy rains.
- The typical northeast monsoon rain will be absent at least for the next few days as the present weather system over the Bay of Bengal is likely to upset the flow of north-easterlies.
- The depression formed over the Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into deep depression and subsequently into cyclonic storms.
- IMD predicted that the cyclonic storm likely to move towards the Andhra Coast and then recurve and move north-eastwards towards Bangladesh and adjoining the West Bengal coast.
Color Coding of Cyclone
- To strengthen the early warning system and reduce potential damage due to cyclonic winds, IMD follows a special matrix to decide the color of weather situations.
- It is based on the probability of occurrence of the event as well as its impact assessment. The decision of the color also depends on the meteorological factors, hydrological factors, geophysical factors that indicate the risk.
| Colour code | Meaning |
| Green | • All is well. • No adverse weather conditions. • No advisory issued. |
| Yellow | • Be aware. • Severely bad weather may span across several days • Warning of affecting daily activities. |
| Orange | • Be prepared. • Warning of extreme damage to communication disruptions. • Sign for evacuation and keeping the basic necessities ready for families. |
| Red | • Take action. • Threat to life with the worst weather conditions. • Measures are taken to handle the situation along with the help of disaster management response teams |
Classification of Tropical cyclone based on Speed
The classification of tropical cyclones based on their speed can vary slightly depending on the region, but they generally follow a pattern related to the sustained wind speeds.
