Year End 2021: Cyclones That Hit India This Year

Six cyclonic storms hit India this year and a few veered away from expected regions without damage while the others created wreckage leaving huge property loss, throwing lives & livelihood out of gear

Cyclone. (Representative image)

New Delhi: Amid the Delta variant of Coronavirus triggering the second wave, the people of the country and governments have witnessed five cyclonic storms -- Cyclone Tauktae, Yaas, Gulaab & Shaheen and Jawad -- and several depressions that formed in both Bay of Bengal and Arabian sea as part of North Indian Ocean cyclone season of 2021. The erratic monsoons have left a trail of devastation across several states in India. State governments and the people, who had to evacuate their homes, had to deal with the rain fury triggered by cyclones were left them to lurch. In the aftermath of the cyclone-ravaged regions were provided financial aid to give basic needs to the people who were affected.

Cyclone Tauktae:

With deep depression forming in North Andaman sea early in April have a month later turned into an extremely severe cyclonic storm that was called Cyclone Tauktae. The cyclone wreaked havoc in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and triggered flash floods in Kerala. PM Modi announced Rs 1,000 crore financial aid for Taukate-ravaged Gujarat, reported Times of India

While the Maharashtra government Approved a Rs 252-crore relief fund package for the Tauktae-hit state. As per NDRF norms, the kin of the bereaved would get Rs 4 lakh, the state government further announced, according to the reports in Economic Times. The red alert was issued in Kerala. There was a huge property loss and several houses were damaged to the flash floods.

Cyclone Yaas:

Post-Amphan, which wreaked havoc in 2020, parts of West Bengal and Northern Odisha were hit by Cyclone Yaas. The impact was huge in both the states and it didn't stop there. The rampant Yaas moved north-northwestwards and impacted Bihar, Jharkand and south Uttar Pradesh. Heavy rains and gusty winds were reported in the region. Eleven people were reported dead due to Cyclone Yaas and at least 80 houses were damaged due to the cyclone in West Bengal. 

Overall at least 10 million people were affected while 3,00,000 houses were damaged. Besides these states in India, the cyclone also affected Bangladesh and Nepal. South and North Kerala were also ravaged by Yaas leading to landslides, several houses damaged and people displaced due to severe waterlogging.

Cyclones Gulaab & Shaheen:

Months after Cyclone Yaas left a trail of destruction in several states of the country, then came Cyclone Gulaab. IMD issued a warning for North Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. 

Cyclone Gulaab was the reason to have 54 per cent rainfall in September which is much higher than the average rainfall in the country. In a shocking turn of events, Cyclone Gulaab turned into Cyclone Shaheen to being the normalcy in several to stand still. Cyclone Shaheen emerged off the Gujarat coast and slowly travelled south to wreak havoc in the southern parts of the country.

Cyclone Jawad:

After several cyclones hitting the country this year, the final one was Cyclone Jawad in December. The IMD had issued a red alert for flash floods in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Other than these two states the rains were also expected in West Bengal. The state governments chalked out plans well ahead of the cyclone making landfall in either state. Not much wreckage by Jawad as the storm culminate into a deep depression even before crossing the coast.

Besides these cyclones, deep depressions formed in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea wreaked havoc in the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Tamil Nadu was most affected as IMD issued red alerts to the state capital Chennai five times in a streak.

According to a report in The Indian Express, Tamil Nadu has recorded rainfall of 1,366 mm in the last five years but this year alone, Chennai has recorded 1,121.43 mm rainfall. The report also stated that November 2021 became the third wettest November in over 200 years.

(Image Courtesy: Twitter/IMD)