As Biporjoy landfall nears, here are the records the cylclone has broken

The accumulated energy of the very severe cyclone Biporjoy, that’s expected to make landfall at 5pm June 15, 2023 along the port of Jakhau in Kutch, is the highest in the pre-monsoon season in the north Indian Ocean since 1982.

The accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) combines cyclone intensity and duration.

Biporjoy’s ACE is 23.6 square knots, which has surpassed the April 2019 Cyclone Fani and May 2020 Cyclone Amphan, whose ACEs were 21.96 and 19.75 respectively, Vineet Kumar, a research scientist at Typhoon Research Center, Jeju National University in South Korea, told Down To Earth.

ACE of the May 2023 Cyclone Mocha was 15.2, according to the Colorado State University.

When all the months are considered, Cyclone Biporjoy takes the second spot behind Cyclone Kyaar in 2019 with 24.71 square knots. The 2015 Cyclone Chapala with an ACE of 23.41 square knots and the 2007 Cyclone Gonu with an ACE of 19.62 square knots took the third and fourth place, respectively.

ACE has little to do with the damage on the coast. The current winds, Kumar explained, are more important. As per the India Meteorological Department, the maximum wind speed could reach 115-125 kmph gusting to 140 kmph during landfall.

Biporjoy’s high ACE can be explained by its high sea surface temperature and ocean heat content. During the cyclone’s formation, the sea surface temperature was 31-32 degrees Celsius, which is 2-3°C above normal, Kumar explained.

Ocean heat content was close to 80 Kilojoules (KJ) from June 7-9. “More than 40 KJ is conducive to cyclone intensification.”

Overall, ACE in the north Indian Ocean from April-June has reached 37.9 square knots as of 14 June evening. With this, 2023 has secured the first spot since 1982. The years 2019 and 2007 secured the second spot and the third spot with an ACE of 37.67 square knots and 23.2 square knots, respectively.

Also, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared the arrival of El Nino earlier in June 2023. El Nino is the warm phase of a recurring climate pattern associated with the warming of the ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. The years 2019 and 2007 were also El Nino years. 

Biporjoy has also broken records with its lifespan. With a duration of 216 hours, Biporjoy secures the first spot in the pre-monsoon season from April-June, followed by the cyclone in June 1998 that persisted for 186 hours as well as a cyclone in May 2001 and Cyclone Vayu in 2019, both of which lasted 150 hours, according to Vagaries of the Weather, weather blog.

Within the Arabian Sea, the lifespan of Biporjoy is the highest in both pre-and post-monsoon, Kumar highlighted.

“The reason why Biporjoy has lasted so long is that it is feeding on warm waters in the Arabian Sea,” said Raghu Murtugudde, a visiting professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, in a statement. 

Biporjoy, he added, is an example of how climate change, especially warming in the upper ocean, is contributing to cyclones moving slower and lasting longer.

The cyclone rapidly intensified twice in its lifetime. From the morning of June 6-7, the wind speed increased from 30 to 75 knots. This is an increase of 45 knots in 24 hours, according to data shared by Kumar.

The second rapid intensification was documented from the evening of June 10-11, where wind speeds rose from 65 to 105 knots, an increase of 40 knots in 24 hours, according to Joint Typhoon Warning Centre.

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