Why in the News?

Cyclone Montha, classified as a severe cyclonic storm, has made landfall near Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh) on October 28.

Back2Basics: Tropical Cyclones

What is it: Large low-pressure systems over warm oceans, marked by rotating winds, heavy rain, and storm surges.
Conditions: Form when ocean temps >27°C, with moist rising air releasing latent heat to fuel convection.
Rotation: Driven by the Coriolis force – anticlockwise in Northern Hemisphere, clockwise in Southern.
Structure: Eye (calm), Eyewall (violent winds/rains), Rainbands (widespread showers).
Regional Names: Typhoons (Pacific), Hurricanes (Atlantic/Caribbean), Cyclones (Indian Ocean).
Drivers & Frequency: Common in Southeast Asia due to warm Pacific waters, El Niño/La Niña cycles, and climate change.
Impacts: Loss of life, property damage, flooding, soil salinisation, displacement, and disease outbreaks.
Climate Change Link: Global warming is making tropical cyclones stronger, less predictable, and more frequent, raising risks for coastal populations.

Overview: A tropical cyclone is said to make landfall when its centre (eye) crosses the coastline from sea to land.
Not the Same as a Direct Hit:
- Landfall = when the eye crosses the coast.
- Direct hit = when the eyewall (zone of strongest winds) impacts the coast, even if the centre remains offshore.
Duration: Landfall usually lasts a few hours, depending on wind speed and storm size.
Post-Landfall Behaviour: Cyclones lose intensity rapidly after landfall due to loss of oceanic moisture and increased land friction.

Overview: Cyclones in the North Indian Ocean are named under the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) / United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Panel on Tropical Cyclones (since 2004).
Naming Authority: Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC), New Delhi, operated by IMD.
13 Member Countries: Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Yemen, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE.
Submission of names: Each country submits 13 culturally neutral, gender-neutral names, forming a 169-name rotating list.
Non-repetition: Names are used sequentially and not repeated after one use.
“Montha”: It was suggested by Thailand, meaning “beautiful” or “fragrant flower.”
Significance: Naming helps public communication, ensures clarity in warnings, and avoids confusion during multiple simultaneous storms.
Current sequence: Shakthi (Sri Lanka) → Montha (Thailand) → Senyar (UAE) → Ditwah (Yemen) → Arnab (Bangladesh) → Murasu (India).

[UPSC 2020] Consider the following statements:

1. Jet streams occur in the Northern Hemisphere only.

2. Only some cyclones develop an eye.

3. The temperature inside the eye of a cyclone is nearly 10°C lesser than that of the surroundings.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 2 only* (d) 1 and 3 only