Trends in the frequency of cyclonic disturbances and their intensification over Indian seas

Abstract

Trends in cyclonic disturbances for the period 1891-1997 were studied over Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. It is noticed that there is a significant decreasing trend at 99% level of confidence in the frequency of storms. The slopes of decreasing trend in cyclonic activity over Bay of Bengal and that over Arabian Sea were found to be maximum during last four decades. Weakening of Hadley circulation due to upper tropospheric warming may be one of the cause of this decreasing trend. There appears to be decrease in intensification of cyclonic disturbances in recent period.