Relevance: GS-1 (Geography – Climate & Disasters) | Source: The Indian Express

A powerful tropical storm system over the Malacca Strait triggered catastrophic floods and landslides across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia, causing nearly 950 deaths and affecting more than 4 million people.
Extreme rainfall, overflowing rivers, landslides, and disrupted communication links worsened the humanitarian crisis, leaving thousands displaced.

Cyclone Basics

Cyclone Formation in an Extremely Rare Zone

The storm exhibited characteristics similar to Cyclone Senyar, which formed in the Strait of Malacca — a region located below 5°N latitude, where cyclones are extremely rare due to a very weak Coriolis force.
Only one previously recorded cyclone has ever formed in this zone, making the present event a rarest-of-rare cyclogenesis incident.

Its formation challenges the classical understanding that the Coriolis force near the equator is too weak to sustain the rotation required for cyclonic development.

Meteorological Drivers

The system intensified due to:

• Unusually high sea-surface temperatures
• Strong moisture convergence
• Interaction between monsoonal winds and a low-pressure cell

These factors led to extreme rainfall, flash floods, and strong winds, similar to tropical depressions and storms commonly seen across Southeast Asia.

Naming of Tropical Cyclones

Tropical cyclones in the North Indian Ocean are named by the WMO–ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones, which includes India and neighbouring countries.
Each nation submits a list of names, used sequentially, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) announces the name when a system reaches cyclonic intensity.

• Names must be short, easy to pronounce, culturally neutral, and non-political.
• Purpose: Improve public communication and preparedness.

For example, Cyclone Ditwah was a name proposed by Yemen.

MCQ

Q. Consider the following:
1. INCOIS provides tsunami and ocean state forecasts.
2. Cyclone names in the North Indian Ocean are given by the World Meteorological Organization.
3. The Sendai Framework focuses on disaster mortality reduction.

Which of the above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2
(b) 1 and 3
(c) 2 and 3
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (d)