Tauktae intensity takes experts by surprise

NEW DELHI: Tauktae wasn’t supposed to become an extremely severe cyclonic storm, but favourable conditions reigning in the Arabian Sea helped it become that -- once again highlighting the potential impact of the climate crisis on India.

Tauktae intensified from a very severe to an extremely severe cyclonic storm rapidly on Monday morning, taking weather experts and scientists by surprise. “Tauktae intensified very rapidly this morning. We did not state that it would intensify to an extremely severe cyclone in our forecast. But it did because of extremely favourable oceanic and atmospheric conditions,” said M Mohapatra of India Meteorological Department. While forecasting the trajectory of Tauktae, IMD forecast that it would intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm and cross the Gujarat coast on May 18. This bulletin was issued at 2.20am on Monday. But by 8.15am, IMD said Tauktae had already intensified to an extremely severe cyclonic storm.