North Indian Ocean
| India Meteorological Department Tropical Cyclone Intensity Scale |
|
|---|---|
| Category | Sustained winds |
| Super Cyclonic Storm | >120 kt >222 km/h |
| Very Severe Cyclonic Storm |
64–119 kt 118–221 km/h |
| Severe Cyclonic Storm |
48–63 kt 88–117 km/h |
| Cyclonic Storm | 34–47 kt 62–87 km/h |
| Deep Depression | 28–33 kt 52–61 km/h |
| Depression | ≤27 kt ≤51 km/h |
Any tropical cyclone that develops within the Northern Hemisphere between 100°E and 45°E in the Northern Hemisphere, is monitored by the India Meteorological Department's Regional Specialized Meteorological Center in New Delhi, India. Other warning centres such as RSMC La Reunion, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department and the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center, also monitor tropical cyclones developing within the basin. RSMC New Delhi uses a 3-minute averaging period to determine the sustained windspeeds of a tropical cyclone.
- Official classifications
The lowest category used by RSMC New Delhi, is a depression which have 3-minute sustained windspeeds of under 27 kn (31 mph; 50 km/h), while a deep depression has windspeeds of between 27 kn (31 mph; 50 km/h) and 33 kn (38 mph; 61 km/h). Should a deep depression further intensify, it will be classified as a Cyclonic Storm and assigned a name should it develop sustained windspeeds of between 34 kn (39 mph; 63 km/h) and 48 kn (55 mph; 89 km/h).
In cases where cyclonic storms possess wind speeds greater than 48 kt, (88 km/h, 55 mph), they are classified as severe cyclonic storms. A severe cyclonic storm is labelled as a very severe cyclonic storm when it reaches wind speeds greater than 64 kt, (118 km/h, 74 mph). A Super Cyclonic Storm is the highest category used to designate tropical cyclones and have 3-minute sustained windspeeds of above 120 kn (140 mph; 220 km/h)
Prior to 1988, cyclones were classified into 4 categories, which were depression, deep depression, cyclonic storms(34-47 knots) and severe cyclonic storms(48 knots or more). However in 1988 the IMD started to rate cyclones with wind speeds of more than 64 kt, (118 km/h, 74 mph) as very severe cyclonic storms. The IMD then made another change in 1998 to introduce a category for super cyclonic storms, which are cyclonic storms with wind speeds of more than 120 kt, (222 km/h, 138 mph)
Read more about this topic: Tropical Cyclone Scales
Famous quotes containing the words north, indian and/or ocean:
“The Moon’s the North Wind’s cooky,”
—Vachel Lindsay (1879–1931)
“Most of the folktales dealing with the Indians are lurid and romantic. The story of the Indian lovers who were refused permission to wed and committed suicide is common to many places. Local residents point out cliffs where Indian maidens leaped to their death until it would seem that the first duty of all Indian girls was to jump off cliffs.”
—For the State of Iowa, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)
“I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.”
—Isaac Newton (1642–1727)