Cyclone Akash
Encyclopedia
Cyclone Akash was the first named tropical cyclone
of the 2007 North Indian Ocean cyclone season. Warned by both India Meteorological Department
(IMD) and Joint Typhoon Warning Center
(JTWC), it formed from an area of disturbed weather on the Bay of Bengal
on May 12, and gradually organized as it drifted northward. An eye
began to develop as it approached land, and after reaching peak 3-min sustained winds of 85 km/h (50 mph) it struck about 115 km (70 mi) south of Chittagong
in Bangladesh
. Akash rapidly weakened over land, and advisories were discontinued on May 15.
The storm initially brought heavy rainfall to the Andaman
and Nicobar Islands
. Upon striking Bangladesh
, Cyclonic Storm Akash produced a moderate storm tide
, along with strong winds and heavy rains. The storm left dozens of boats missing, with three fisherman confirmed killed and another 50 missing. Near the coast, thousands of houses were damaged from the flooding caused by the storm. In Burma, its storm tide caused some coastal flooding. In all, 14 people were killed and damages amounted to US$982 million.
persisted across the Bay of Bengal
. An area of convection developed on May 11, and the next day the India Meteorological Department
(IMD) classified it as a depression. The system drifted northward, and initially moderate wind shear
kept the deep convection on the periphery of the consolidating low-level circulation center. Gradually, banding features developed along the eastern semicircle, and with decreasing amounts of wind shear the system organized further. By May 13, the pressure had dropped to 1000 mbar as wind shear levels dropped significantly. An anticyclone
developed over the system, while a mid-latitude trough
over northeastern India
provided favorable outflow. Convection continued to consolidate around the low-level circulation, and with well-defined banding features and a central dense overcast
over the center of circulation, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
(JTWC) upgraded it to Tropical Cyclone 01B at 1121 UTC on May 13 while located about 545 km (340 mi) west-northwest of Yangon
, Burma.
Upon first being upgraded, the storm tracked steadily northward due to a break in a mid-level ridge
. Early on May 14, IMD upgraded the system to deep depression status, and six hours later classified it as Cyclonic Storm Akash after attaining 3-min sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h). Akash continued to organize, with deep convection wrapping fully around the low-level circulation. An eye
began to form as the storm approached land, and at 1800 UTC on May 14 JTWC estimated 1-min sustained winds of 120 km/h (75 mph). Officially, Akash attained peak 3-min sustained winds of 85 km/h (50 mph) and a minimum central pressure of 988 hPa
. Additionally, meteorologists in Burma estimated Akash peaked with winds of 160 km/h (100 mph). As it interacted with the mid-latitude westerlies, it began to become extratropical
. Shortly after reaching peak winds, Akash made landfall
about 115 km (70 mi) south of Chittagong
. The storm weakened rapidly as it continued inland, and early on May 15 IMD issued its final advisory on the system; shortly thereafter, JTWC discontinued advisories. The name was contributed by India, Akash means Sky in Hindi
language.
and Nicobar Islands
to not go into the ocean due to the anticipated rough seas. Upon approaching the coast of Bangladesh
, officials canceled all flights to and from the Shah Amanat International Airport
. Additionally, authorities at the port of Chittagong
worked to protect cargo ships from the storm, and it was ultimately closed for a period of 19 hours. In preparation for Akash, officials advised coastal residents to evacuate further inland; about 80,000 total residents left for emergency shelters. About 40,000 Red Cross
volunteers were prepared to aid those potentially affected.
estimated winds of 45–55 km/h (28–34 mph) affected the Andaman
and Nicobar Islands
, though no land reports were received. In Sittwe
in Burma, the storm produced a storm tide
of 3 m (10 ft), which flooded coastal areas.
In Chittagong
, about 115 km (70 mi) north of where Akash moved ashore, surface stations reported peak winds of 37 km/h (23 mph) and a pressure of 996.8vhPa
. Near its landfall location, Akash produced high tides that flooded coastal areas with up to 1.5 m (5 ft) of water, destroying at least 30 businesses. The cyclone destroyed 205 houses and left an additional 845 damaged. Akash caused moderate crop damage near the coast, including 2 ha (4.9 acres) of destroyed lands of shrimp farms. Heavy precipitation was reported, with one station reporting a total of 53 mm (2.12 in); the rainfall caused flooding in inland areas. The heavy rains, caused by outer bands of the cyclone before it made landfall, limited play in Chittagong in the third One Day International cricket
match between India and Bangladesh, before the match was abandoned. Strong winds caused power outages throughout Cox's Bazar District
, and downed about 200 trees on St. Martin's Island
. The cyclone left a total of 10 boats unaccounted for, with about 50 fishermen missing. In total, three fisherman were confirmed killed, all on St. Martin's Island, with two people left hospitalized. The passage of Cyclone Akash left many people homeless. Initially there was no response from the government. In all, 14 people were killed by Akash and damages amounted to US$982 million.
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
of the 2007 North Indian Ocean cyclone season. Warned by both India Meteorological Department
India Meteorological Department
The India Meteorological Department , also referred to as the Met Office, is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India. It is the principal agency responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology...
(IMD) and Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
(JTWC), it formed from an area of disturbed weather on the Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
on May 12, and gradually organized as it drifted northward. An eye
Eye (cyclone)
The eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area and typically 30–65 km in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the second most severe weather of a cyclone...
began to develop as it approached land, and after reaching peak 3-min sustained winds of 85 km/h (50 mph) it struck about 115 km (70 mi) south of Chittagong
Chittagong
Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. Akash rapidly weakened over land, and advisories were discontinued on May 15.
The storm initially brought heavy rainfall to the Andaman
Andaman Islands
The Andaman Islands are a group of Indian Ocean archipelagic islands in the Bay of Bengal between India to the west, and Burma , to the north and east...
and Nicobar Islands
Nicobar Islands
The Nicobar Islands are an archipelagic island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean...
. Upon striking Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, Cyclonic Storm Akash produced a moderate storm tide
Storm tide
A storm tide is a tide with a high flood period caused by a storm. Storm tides can be a severe danger to the coast and the people living along the coast. The water level can rise to more than 5 meters above the normal tide....
, along with strong winds and heavy rains. The storm left dozens of boats missing, with three fisherman confirmed killed and another 50 missing. Near the coast, thousands of houses were damaged from the flooding caused by the storm. In Burma, its storm tide caused some coastal flooding. In all, 14 people were killed and damages amounted to US$982 million.
Meteorological history
During the second week of May, low pressuresLow pressure area
A low-pressure area, or "low", is a region where the atmospheric pressure at sea level is below that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence which occur in upper levels of the troposphere. The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as...
persisted across the Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
. An area of convection developed on May 11, and the next day the India Meteorological Department
India Meteorological Department
The India Meteorological Department , also referred to as the Met Office, is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India. It is the principal agency responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology...
(IMD) classified it as a depression. The system drifted northward, and initially moderate wind shear
Wind shear
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as windshear or wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the atmosphere...
kept the deep convection on the periphery of the consolidating low-level circulation center. Gradually, banding features developed along the eastern semicircle, and with decreasing amounts of wind shear the system organized further. By May 13, the pressure had dropped to 1000 mbar as wind shear levels dropped significantly. An anticyclone
Anticyclone
An anticyclone is a weather phenomenon defined by the United States' National Weather Service's glossary as "[a] large-scale circulation of winds around a central region of high atmospheric pressure, clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere"...
developed over the system, while a mid-latitude trough
Trough (meteorology)
A trough is an elongated region of relatively low atmospheric pressure, often associated with fronts.Unlike fronts, there is not a universal symbol for a trough on a weather chart. The weather charts in some countries or regions mark troughs by a line. In the United States, a trough may be marked...
over northeastern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
provided favorable outflow. Convection continued to consolidate around the low-level circulation, and with well-defined banding features and a central dense overcast
Eye (cyclone)
The eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area and typically 30–65 km in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the second most severe weather of a cyclone...
over the center of circulation, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force located at the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii...
(JTWC) upgraded it to Tropical Cyclone 01B at 1121 UTC on May 13 while located about 545 km (340 mi) west-northwest of Yangon
Yangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
, Burma.
Upon first being upgraded, the storm tracked steadily northward due to a break in a mid-level ridge
Ridge (meteorology)
A ridge is an elongated region of relatively high atmospheric pressure, the opposite of a trough....
. Early on May 14, IMD upgraded the system to deep depression status, and six hours later classified it as Cyclonic Storm Akash after attaining 3-min sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h). Akash continued to organize, with deep convection wrapping fully around the low-level circulation. An eye
Eye (cyclone)
The eye is a region of mostly calm weather found at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye of a storm is a roughly circular area and typically 30–65 km in diameter. It is surrounded by the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the second most severe weather of a cyclone...
began to form as the storm approached land, and at 1800 UTC on May 14 JTWC estimated 1-min sustained winds of 120 km/h (75 mph). Officially, Akash attained peak 3-min sustained winds of 85 km/h (50 mph) and a minimum central pressure of 988 hPa
HPA
-Organizations:*Halifax Port Authority, a port authority in Canada*Hamburg Port Authority, the port authority for the Port of Hamburg, Germany*Health Protection Agency, a health organization in the United Kingdom...
. Additionally, meteorologists in Burma estimated Akash peaked with winds of 160 km/h (100 mph). As it interacted with the mid-latitude westerlies, it began to become extratropical
Extratropical cyclone
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are a group of cyclones defined as synoptic scale low pressure weather systems that occur in the middle latitudes of the Earth having neither tropical nor polar characteristics, and are connected with fronts and...
. Shortly after reaching peak winds, Akash made landfall
Landfall (meteorology)
Landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone or a waterspout coming onto land after being over water. When a waterspout makes landfall it is reclassified as a tornado, which can then cause damage inland...
about 115 km (70 mi) south of Chittagong
Chittagong
Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
. The storm weakened rapidly as it continued inland, and early on May 15 IMD issued its final advisory on the system; shortly thereafter, JTWC discontinued advisories. The name was contributed by India, Akash means Sky in Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
language.
Preparations
In its daily tropical weather outlook, the India Meteorological Department warned fishermen on the AndamanAndaman Islands
The Andaman Islands are a group of Indian Ocean archipelagic islands in the Bay of Bengal between India to the west, and Burma , to the north and east...
and Nicobar Islands
Nicobar Islands
The Nicobar Islands are an archipelagic island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean...
to not go into the ocean due to the anticipated rough seas. Upon approaching the coast of Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, officials canceled all flights to and from the Shah Amanat International Airport
Shah Amanat International Airport
Shah Amanat International Airport , named after an Islamic saint, is an international airport serving Bangladesh's south-eastern port city of Chittagong and the Bangladesh Air Force. It is Bangladesh's second largest airport...
. Additionally, authorities at the port of Chittagong
Chittagong
Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
worked to protect cargo ships from the storm, and it was ultimately closed for a period of 19 hours. In preparation for Akash, officials advised coastal residents to evacuate further inland; about 80,000 total residents left for emergency shelters. About 40,000 Red Cross
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human...
volunteers were prepared to aid those potentially affected.
Impact
The India Meteorological DepartmentIndia Meteorological Department
The India Meteorological Department , also referred to as the Met Office, is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India. It is the principal agency responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology...
estimated winds of 45–55 km/h (28–34 mph) affected the Andaman
Andaman Islands
The Andaman Islands are a group of Indian Ocean archipelagic islands in the Bay of Bengal between India to the west, and Burma , to the north and east...
and Nicobar Islands
Nicobar Islands
The Nicobar Islands are an archipelagic island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean...
, though no land reports were received. In Sittwe
Sittwe
-Economy:In February 2007, India announced a plan to develop the port, which would enable ocean access from Indian Northeastern states, so called "Seven sisters", like Mizoram, via the Kaladan River....
in Burma, the storm produced a storm tide
Storm tide
A storm tide is a tide with a high flood period caused by a storm. Storm tides can be a severe danger to the coast and the people living along the coast. The water level can rise to more than 5 meters above the normal tide....
of 3 m (10 ft), which flooded coastal areas.
In Chittagong
Chittagong
Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
, about 115 km (70 mi) north of where Akash moved ashore, surface stations reported peak winds of 37 km/h (23 mph) and a pressure of 996.8vhPa
HPA
-Organizations:*Halifax Port Authority, a port authority in Canada*Hamburg Port Authority, the port authority for the Port of Hamburg, Germany*Health Protection Agency, a health organization in the United Kingdom...
. Near its landfall location, Akash produced high tides that flooded coastal areas with up to 1.5 m (5 ft) of water, destroying at least 30 businesses. The cyclone destroyed 205 houses and left an additional 845 damaged. Akash caused moderate crop damage near the coast, including 2 ha (4.9 acres) of destroyed lands of shrimp farms. Heavy precipitation was reported, with one station reporting a total of 53 mm (2.12 in); the rainfall caused flooding in inland areas. The heavy rains, caused by outer bands of the cyclone before it made landfall, limited play in Chittagong in the third One Day International cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
match between India and Bangladesh, before the match was abandoned. Strong winds caused power outages throughout Cox's Bazar District
Cox's Bazar District
Cox's Bazar District is a district in the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh. It is named after Cox's Bazar, which is one of the world's longest natural sea beaches . It is located south of Chittagong. Cox's Bazar is also known by the name Panowa . Another old name was Palongkee...
, and downed about 200 trees on St. Martin's Island
St. Martin's Island
St. Martin's Island is a small island in the northheast part of the Bay of Bengal, about 9 km south of the tip of the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf peninsula, and forming the southernmost part of Bangladesh. It is not a coral island in Bangladesh. It is about 8 km west of the northwest coast of...
. The cyclone left a total of 10 boats unaccounted for, with about 50 fishermen missing. In total, three fisherman were confirmed killed, all on St. Martin's Island, with two people left hospitalized. The passage of Cyclone Akash left many people homeless. Initially there was no response from the government. In all, 14 people were killed by Akash and damages amounted to US$982 million.
See also
- List of notable tropical cyclones
- Timeline of the 2007 North Indian Ocean cyclone seasonTimeline of the 2007 North Indian Ocean cyclone seasonBelow is a timeline of the 2007 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, documenting major events with regards to tropical cyclone formation, strengthening, weakening, landfall, extratropical transition, as well as dissipation...