Super Cyclonic Storm Kyarr () was an extremely powerful

tropical cyclone A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its locat ...

that became the first super cyclonic storm in the North Indian Ocean since Gonu in 2007. It was also the second strongest tropical cyclone in the

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea () is a region of sea in the northern Indian Ocean, bounded on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel, on the northwest by Gulf of Oman and Iran, on the north by Pakistan, on the east by India, and ...

and one of the most intense tropical cyclones in North Indian Ocean history. The seventh depression, fifth named cyclone, and the first, and only Super Cyclonic Storm of the annual season, Kyarr developed from a low-pressure system near the

Equator The equator is the circle of latitude that divides Earth into the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Southern Hemisphere, Southern Hemispheres of Earth, hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, about in circumferen ...

. The system organized itself and intensified to a tropical storm on October 24 2019 as it moved eastwards. The storm underwent rapid intensification and reached Super Cyclonic Storm status on October 27, as it turned westward. On that same day, Kyarr peaked as a Super Cyclonic Storm, with maximum 3-minute sustained winds of 240 km/h (150 mph), maximum 1-minute sustained winds of 250 km/h (155 mph), and a minimum central pressure of , making the system a high-end Category 4-equivalent tropical cyclone. Afterward, Kyarr gradually began to weaken, while curving westward, and then turning to the southwest. On October 31, Kyarr weakened into a Deep Depression, before turning southward on November 2, passing just to the west of

Socotra Socotra, locally known as Saqatri, is a Yemeni island in the Indian Ocean. Situated between the Guardafui Channel and the Arabian Sea, it lies near major shipping routes. Socotra is the largest of the six islands in the Socotra archipelago as ...

. Kyarr degenerated into a remnant low later that day, before dissipating on November 3, just off the coast of

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

. Despite the immense strength of the storm, and many countries being affected by high tides and storm surges, there were no reported fatalities in Socotra, though there were 5 people reported dead in

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

, India, due to heavy rains.

Meteorological history

A low-pressure area formed on October 17 in the

west of India near the Lakshadweep islands. Around that time, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) anticipated that the low would eventually develop into a tropical cyclone. The low remained in the same general region for a few days, becoming well-marked by October 22. The IMD classified the system as a Depression early on October 24, upgrading it to a Deep Depression later that day. On the same day, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) began issuing warnings on the system, classifying it as ''Tropical Cyclone 04A''. The Deep Depression initially moved to the northeast, towards the west coast of India. Early on October 25, the IMD upgraded the system to a Cyclonic Storm, naming it ''Kyarr''. Later that day, the storm turned northward and intensified further into a Severe Cyclonic Storm. Warm water temperatures of around , as well as low wind shear, fueled rapid intensification. Kyarr turned to the northwest, away from India, on October 26. On the same day, the IMD upgraded the storm to a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm, and later, to an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm. Early on October 27, the IMD upgraded Kyarr further to a Super Cyclonic Storm, the first one in the Arabian Sea since Gonu in 2007; it was also the only recorded Super Cyclonic Storm in the Arabian Sea to occur after the monsoon season. The IMD estimated the peak maximum sustained winds of , with a minimum central pressure of estimated by the IMD. The JTWC estimated slightly higher winds of . At its peak, Kyarr had a well-defined eye, surrounded by well-defined rainbands and outflow. For about 12 hours, Kyarr maintained peak intensity, although it remained a super cyclonic storm for about 51 hours while moving toward the

Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula (, , or , , ) or Arabia, is a peninsula in West Asia, situated north-east of Africa on the Arabian plate. At , comparable in size to India, the Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the world. Geographically, the ...

. On October 30, the storm began weakening as the track shifted to the west, falling to the intensity of a Severe Cyclonic Storm. On the same day, Kyarr co-existed with Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Maha, marking the first time on record that there were two simultaneous Cyclonic Storms in the Arabian Sea. Kyarr turned to the southwest, paralleling the coastline of the Arabian Peninsula offshore. On October 31, Kyarr weakened to a Deep Depression, and Kyarr deteriorated further into a Depression on the next day. The storm's circulation passed just north of

on November 2. Shortly afterward, the system weakened into a remnant low off the northern coast of

, before dissipating on the next day.

Preparations and impact

Due to the large circulation of the cyclone, the IMD recommended all fishermen avoid sailing in the Arabian Sea for five days. The Indian Coast Guard rescued at least 19 fishermen caught by the storm. The

Indian Navy The Indian Navy (IN) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Navy, maritime and Amphibious warfare, amphibious branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of the Naval Staff (India), Chief ...

rescued 17 fishermen from a boat that sank amid high seas west of

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

. On October 24, Kyarr washed ashore the chemical tanker ''Nu-Shi Nalini'' near Dona Paula in Goa state, which was carrying naphtha, an explosive. The material was salvaged about a month after the storm, and was eventually shipped in early January 2020. Also offshore, the cyclone forced two AIDA cruise ships to reroute their paths. In advance of the tropical cyclone, the IMD issued rain and surf alerts for the Indian states of

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

, and Goa. As Kyarr approached western India, the cyclone dropped heavy rainfall onshore, peaking at in Malvan, Maharashtra. In Goa, the rains caused flash flooding, while strong winds felled trees and power lines. In

, the storm's heavy rains contributed to a dengue outbreak, with a 70% increase in cases of the mosquito-borne disease in December 2019 compared to the same month in 2018. In Gujarat, more than 157,000 farmers filed insurance claims due to damage related to Kyarr, with most of the losses related to groundnut and cotton. The state government reimbursed farmers for their losses. 5 people killed from rain-related incidents in

, India. In southern Pakistan, officials closed beaches and opened four shelters due to high tides from the cyclone. Floods affected parts of

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

, closing a section of Defence Raya Golf and Country Club, killing 200, and damaging 2000 houses. High tides from Kyarr flooded towns on the coast of Oman. In neighboring United Arab Emirates, high tides flooded streets, houses, and schools in eastern coastal areas of Sharjah and Fujairah. Heavy rainfall from the outskirts of Kyarr also caused flooding in Dubai. Kyarr started to slow down as it moved through the Arabian Sea, and it dissipated before reaching Socotra Island.

Notes

References

External links

India Meteorological Department

04A.Kyarr
from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory {{DEFAULTSORT:Kyarr 2019 North Indian Ocean cyclone season Tropical cyclones in 2019 Super cyclonic storms Tropical cyclones in Oman Tropical cyclones in Iran Tropical cyclones in Pakistan 2019 in Iran 2019 meteorology

Meteorological history

Preparations and impact

See also

Notes

References

External links