Cyclone Ockhi (2017)
Topic: Air Masses, Fronts, Cyclones and Thunderstorms · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Cyclone Ockhi formed near Sri Lanka in late November 2017 and moved through the Lakshadweep Sea without crossing the Indian mainland. It went through rapid intensification, meaning its maximum winds rose by at least 30 knots (about 55 km/h) within 24 hours. This left very little warning time. Many fishermen from Kerala and Tamil Nadu were already at sea and were killed or went missing. Ockhi showed how dangerous rapid intensification is and why warnings must reach people at sea.
Example
Fishing boats from the coasts of southern Kerala and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu were caught in the open sea as Ockhi suddenly grew stronger.
Don't confuse with
- Bomb cyclone: also a storm that strengthens fast, but it is a mid-latitude (extra-tropical) cyclone. It is measured by a pressure fall of at least 24 hPa in 24 hours, not by a rise in wind speed.