STH Stormwatch: Cyclone 'Biparjoy' in the Arabian sea and a 'well marked low' in the Bay of Bengal

Praful Rao
Kalimpong district
Darjeeling - Sikkim Himalaya.
savethehills@gmail.com
9475033744

How to convert your smartphone into an Early Warning (EW) device

1. I was tracking the storm (Slide 1) over Nepal last evening on this IMD website and had to resist an urge to post it on STH's  'Hazard Alert', What'sApp group because I was not too sure of the movement of the storm.
2. Having tracked storms on broad band internet for over 5 -7yrs now ( see 1, 2), I am cautious about creating panic or apprehension by uploading inaccurate weather forecasts - nevertheless because of the prevailing westerly upper winds, I was more or less certain that the storm would reach us if it did not dissipate elsewhere. Where I was wrong was in the timing - I expected the storm to reach us in 2 hrs.
3. Six hrs later, at 3.30am this morning, I was woken up by the sound of driving rain, followed by loud peals of thunder and lightning. A glance at the IR satellite imagery (Slide 2) on my smartphone told me that the storm had arrived over us.
4. It dumped almost 40mm of rain in as much time which gives an approx intensity of 60mm/hr - an intensity which can trigger off landslides if the precipitation is sustained.
5. But here is the bottom line :-
a. Updated satellite imagery (IMD updates its images every 30mins) together with cloud movement animation and other web - based info (like Lightning Location) can provide us with powerful tools to give us EW info on  storm movements.
b. Major weather events like cyclones and hurricanes give ample warning (5-6 days)
c. Minor weather events like local storms generated by micro-climates are often the only ones which do NOT show up on satellite imagery.
d. I rely a lot on IMD satellite imagery but there are many others which I hop to when IMD website is down (eg. Bangladesh and Nepal meteorological dept websites)
6. While all this is pertinent to hydrological events only, one need not wait for the next BBC weather bulletin to check the forecast
- instead just convert your smart phone into an early warning device!

Praful Rao
Kalimpong district,
Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya

STH Stormwatch (05Dec2016) : A low pressure forms in the Bay of Bengal and updates (08/09Dec2016)

We will post updates as necessary.

08Dec2016

09Dec2016

JTWC track is here


Praful Rao,
Kalimpong,
Dist Darjeeling

STH Stormwatch (2016) :- First Low Pressure Area (LOPAR) of the year forms in the Bay (and updates)

Excerpt of IMD Weather Inference of 14May2016 (Night)

"A low pressure area has formed over equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal. It is likely to become well marked low pressure area and further concentrate into a depression during next 48 hours."

Websites and Links for watching/tracking severe weather  
1. Satellite images from IMD : IR and other images are available from IMD including animations. The images are updated every 30mins.

2. Cyclones in the Northern Indian Ocean :- see here

3. JTWC for tracks and images :- see here

4. Updated IR Imagery for aviation :- click on ICAO Area 'E' 
5. Worldwide Lightning location network :- Indicates lightning ie severe weather locations
6. STH stormwatch ie this blog.

Update 1 (15May2016- evening)
The above system has concentrated into a well marked LOPAR. It is likely to move northwestwards, become a deep depression and cross the Tamil Nadu coast between around 17May2016 (morning) - source

Praful Rao,
Kalimpong,
Dist Darjeeling

STH Stormwatch : update on Typhoon Haiyan

Praful Rao,
Kalimpong,
Dist Darjeeling