Devastation after Cyclone Amphan in West Bengal (File Photo)
There were five cyclones over the Arabian Sea in 2019 against the average of one per year, the Ministry of Earth Sciences said on Tuesday. Also, 2019 saw the development of more intense cyclones over the Arabian Sea, the ministry said, in response to a question in Rajya Sabha.
"Based on the statistics from 1891-2017, on an average, five cyclones develop over north Indian Ocean in a year with four over Bay of Bengal and one over Arabian Sea," the ministry stated.
In the recent past, an increase in frequency has been observed in the formation of cyclones in the north Indian Ocean, the ministry said. "The occurrence of five cyclones over Arabian Sea in 2019 against the normal of one per year equals the previous record of 1902 for the highest annual cyclone frequency over Arabian Sea," the minister told the house.
There were one, three and five cyclones over the Arabian Sea in 2017, 2018 and 2019, the ministry said, adding that the Bay of Bengal saw two, four and three cyclones in the same years.