Post-monsoon cyclones
Topic: Air Masses, Fronts, Cyclones and Thunderstorms · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 4 "Climate"; Class 11, Ch 6 "Natural Hazards and Disasters: Causes, Consequences and Management"
Meaning
Post-monsoon cyclones are tropical cyclones that form after the south-west monsoon, from October to December. October–November is the peak season for the Bay of Bengal. They form over the Andaman Sea and the southern Bay, where the sea is still warm and wind shear (the change of wind with height) is weak again. They move west towards India's east coast. They bring much of the Coromandel coast's yearly rain, but they often devastate the crowded Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri deltas.
Example
The Odisha super cyclone formed in the Bay of Bengal and crossed the coast near Paradip on 29 October 1999. It killed about 10,000 people.
Don't confuse with
- North-east (retreating) monsoon: the seasonal winds that bring winter rain to Tamil Nadu. Post-monsoon cyclones are separate, short-lived storms that form in the same season.