Cyclone Yemyin
Encyclopedia
Cyclone Yemyin was a deadly tropical cyclone
that made landfalls
on India and Pakistan
. The Pakistan Meteorological Department
referred to Tropical Cyclone 03B as "Tropical Cyclone Yemyin". At the time, the official WMO body responsible for tropical cyclones in the Arabian Sea
, the India Meteorological Department
(IMD), did not name the storm. However, the IMD reassessed the system to have reached cyclonic storm strength, and retroactively named the storm Yemyin.
Throughout three countries, 983 people were killed: 730 in Pakistan, 140 in India and 113 in Afghanistan. In all, the storm wrought roughly $2.1 billion in damage in India and Pakistan.
associated with the monsoon trough
was first detected by the Naval Research Laboratory in the Bay of Bengal
on June 17. Over the next few days, it developed deep flaring convection near an exposed low-level circulation centre (LLCC) as it drifted in open sea. Despite moderate to high vertical wind shear
, the disturbance produced surface pressure
falls of up to 2.7 mbar (hPa
) in Port Blair
, in the Andaman Islands
, on June 19. Convection persisted around the increasingly well-defined LLCC, and the disturbance continued to consolidate under favourable diffluence.
Early on June 21, the India Meteorological Department
(IMD) declared the area a depression, 430 km (270 mi) east-southeast of Kakinada
, Andhra Pradesh
, India. Several hours later, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
(JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
(TCFA), with winds near 30 kt (55 km/h, 35 mph). The depression moved quickly west-northwest towards the northern Andhra Pradesh coast. A subtropical ridge
to the north weakened the wind shear which had been paralysing the system, allowing for further intensification. Later that day, the IMD upgraded the system to a deep depression. As convection organised with increasing ocean heat content, the JTWC issued its first warning on Tropical Cyclone 03B. The deep depression made landfall
near Kakinda early on June 22 local time. The JTWC issued its final advisory later, as the system began to weaken due to land interaction and wind shear. The next day, the IMD downgraded it to a depression while it crossed the Deccan Plateau
. The final warning was issued on June 24, despite the storm having moved into the Arabian Sea
.
The JTWC noted in its Significant Tropical Weather Outlook for the North Indian Ocean on June 24 that strong monsoonal low-level flow contributed to increased cyclonic vorticity, with low vertical wind shear and warm sea surface temperatures. It warned that these factors could lead to a rapid
regeneration of the cyclone. Early on June 25, the JTWC issued the second TCFA for this system as its LLCC crossed the coast into the Arabian Sea. Shortly after, both the IMD and the JTWC resumed advisories on the depression.
As it moved northwest just off the Pakistan
i coast, winds of about 26 kt (48 km/h, 30 mph) and a surface pressure of 990 mbar (hPa) were observed in Karachi
near midday on June 25. According to the PMD, the centre of the system reached within 90 km (55 mi) of Karachi. With favourable conditions and deep convection, the system intensified into a deep depression that day. After further organization, it made its second landfall at about 0300 UTC June 26 along the Makran
coast, near Ormara
and Pasni
, Balochistan province
, in southwestern Pakistan
. Upon reaching land, the cyclone began to weaken slowly, and the JTWC issued its last advisory late on June 26.
, Pakistan
, about 213 people died from rains and winds of 111 km/h (69 mph) that might have been associated with an outer band of the cyclone. The Pakistan Meteorological Department
(PMD) had warned of heavy rains and wind from the system as early as Friday June 22.
The cyclone trapped 2 merchant ships: Al-Picaso and Lady Hamad, and 4 fishing boats: Al-Taif, Al-Noor, Sumbal Sultani and Al-Tariq, 100 nm
(185 km, 115 mi) off Karachi
. The Pakistan Navy
rescued 56 sailors from the merchant ships and 36 fishermen from the fishing boats after they were detected by Breguet Atlantique
aircraft. The heavy downpour also flooded the Kech Korandi riverine, inundating the city of Turbat
and causing more than 10,000 people to evacuate their houses. At least 380 people died in Balochistan
, with another 250 dead in Sindh
and 100 in the North-West Frontier Province
, and further rains associated with the remnants of the cyclone hampered rescue efforts. The cyclone affected at least 10 districts of Balochistan and 4 districts of Sindh, affecting the lives of atleas 1.5 million people. At least 2 million people were affected by the cyclone. More than 2 million livestock, worth over 4 billion rupees, were killed by the storm.
, while it was still in the Bay of Bengal
Property losses from the storm were estimated at 24 billion rupees.
.
for the North Indian Ocean, did not operationally upgrade or name the system due to intense Indo-Pakistani relations
. However, on August 6, the IMD reassessed the deep depression to have reached cyclonic storm strength, and retroactively designated the system as Cyclonic Storm Yemyin in its mid-season review. This was confirmed by the designation of Cyclonic Storm Sidr, the next name on the list after Yemyin, in November.
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...
that made landfalls
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...
on India and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. The Pakistan Meteorological Department
Pakistan Meteorological Department
The Pakistan Meteorological Department, also known as Pak Met Office, is a Government of Pakistan organization which works under the Ministry of Defence...
referred to Tropical Cyclone 03B as "Tropical Cyclone Yemyin". At the time, the official WMO body responsible for tropical cyclones in the Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
, 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), did not name the storm. However, the IMD reassessed the system to have reached cyclonic storm strength, and retroactively named the storm Yemyin.
Throughout three countries, 983 people were killed: 730 in Pakistan, 140 in India and 113 in Afghanistan. In all, the storm wrought roughly $2.1 billion in damage in India and Pakistan.
Meteorological history
A low pressure areaLow 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...
associated with the monsoon trough
Monsoon trough
The monsoon trough is that portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone which extends into or through a monsoon circulation, as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and...
was first detected by the Naval Research Laboratory in 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 June 17. Over the next few days, it developed deep flaring convection near an exposed low-level circulation centre (LLCC) as it drifted in open sea. Despite moderate to high vertical 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...
, the disturbance produced surface pressure
Atmospheric pressure
Atmospheric pressure is the force per unit area exerted into a surface by the weight of air above that surface in the atmosphere of Earth . In most circumstances atmospheric pressure is closely approximated by the hydrostatic pressure caused by the weight of air above the measurement point...
falls of up to 2.7 mbar (hPa
Pascal (unit)
The pascal is the SI derived unit of pressure, internal pressure, stress, Young's modulus and tensile strength, named after the French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and philosopher Blaise Pascal. It is a measure of force per unit area, defined as one newton per square metre...
) in Port Blair
Port Blair
Port Blair is the largest town and a municipal council in Andaman district in the Andaman Islands and the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India...
, in the Andaman Islands
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...
, on June 19. Convection persisted around the increasingly well-defined LLCC, and the disturbance continued to consolidate under favourable diffluence.
Early on June 21, 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) declared the area a depression, 430 km (270 mi) east-southeast of Kakinada
Kakinada
Kakinada is a city and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located east of the state capital, Hyderabad. It is also the headquarters of East Godavari district. It is nicknamed "Fertilizer City" , "Pensioner's Paradise" and "Second Madras"...
, Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, India. Several hours later, 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) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert
A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert is a bulletin released by the U.S. Navy-operated Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawaii or the Naval Maritime Forecast Center in Norfolk, Virginia, warning of the possibility of a tropical cyclone forming from a tropical disturbance that has been...
(TCFA), with winds near 30 kt (55 km/h, 35 mph). The depression moved quickly west-northwest towards the northern Andhra Pradesh coast. A subtropical ridge
Subtropical ridge
The subtropical ridge is a significant belt of high pressure situated around the latitudes of 30°N in the Northern Hemisphere and 30°S in the Southern Hemisphere. It is characterized by mostly calm winds, which acts to reduce air quality under its axis by causing fog overnight, and haze during...
to the north weakened the wind shear which had been paralysing the system, allowing for further intensification. Later that day, the IMD upgraded the system to a deep depression. As convection organised with increasing ocean heat content, the JTWC issued its first warning on Tropical Cyclone 03B. The deep depression 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...
near Kakinda early on June 22 local time. The JTWC issued its final advisory later, as the system began to weaken due to land interaction and wind shear. The next day, the IMD downgraded it to a depression while it crossed the Deccan Plateau
Deccan Plateau
The Deccan Plateau is a large plateau in India, making up the majority of the southern part of the country. It rises a hundred meters high in the north, rising further to more than a kilometers high in the south, forming a raised triangle nested within the familiar downward-pointing triangle of...
. The final warning was issued on June 24, despite the storm having moved into the Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
.
The JTWC noted in its Significant Tropical Weather Outlook for the North Indian Ocean on June 24 that strong monsoonal low-level flow contributed to increased cyclonic vorticity, with low vertical wind shear and warm sea surface temperatures. It warned that these factors could lead to a rapid
Rapid deepening
Rapid deepening, also known as rapid intensification, is a meteorological condition that occurs when the minimum sea-level atmospheric pressure of a tropical cyclone decreases drastically in a short period of time. The National Weather Service describes rapid deepening as a decrease of...
regeneration of the cyclone. Early on June 25, the JTWC issued the second TCFA for this system as its LLCC crossed the coast into the Arabian Sea. Shortly after, both the IMD and the JTWC resumed advisories on the depression.
As it moved northwest just off the Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i coast, winds of about 26 kt (48 km/h, 30 mph) and a surface pressure of 990 mbar (hPa) were observed in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
near midday on June 25. According to the PMD, the centre of the system reached within 90 km (55 mi) of Karachi. With favourable conditions and deep convection, the system intensified into a deep depression that day. After further organization, it made its second landfall at about 0300 UTC June 26 along the Makran
Makran
The present day Makran is a semi-desert coastal strip in the south of Sindh, Balochistan, in Iran and Pakistan, along the coast of the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman. The present day Makran derived its name from Maka, a satrap of Achaemenid Empire....
coast, near Ormara
Ormara
Ormara is a port city located in the Makran or coastal region of Balochistan Province in Pakistan. It is located 360 km west of Karachi and 230 km east of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea. This port is also mentioned in Periplus of the Erythraean Sea as Oraea.- History :Ormara is an old...
and Pasni
Pasni City
Pasni is a medium-sized town and a fishing port in Gwadar, Balochistan, Pakistan. Its population is around 33.000. It is located on the Makran coast on Arabian Sea about 300 km from Karachi...
, Balochistan province
Balochistan (Pakistan)
Balochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of...
, in southwestern Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. Upon reaching land, the cyclone began to weaken slowly, and the JTWC issued its last advisory late on June 26.
Impact
Pakistan
In KarachiKarachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, about 213 people died from rains and winds of 111 km/h (69 mph) that might have been associated with an outer band of the cyclone. The Pakistan Meteorological Department
Pakistan Meteorological Department
The Pakistan Meteorological Department, also known as Pak Met Office, is a Government of Pakistan organization which works under the Ministry of Defence...
(PMD) had warned of heavy rains and wind from the system as early as Friday June 22.
The cyclone trapped 2 merchant ships: Al-Picaso and Lady Hamad, and 4 fishing boats: Al-Taif, Al-Noor, Sumbal Sultani and Al-Tariq, 100 nm
Nautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
(185 km, 115 mi) off Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
. The Pakistan Navy
Pakistan Navy
The Pakistan Navy is the naval warfare/service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. Pakistan's Navy is responsible for Pakistan's coastline along the Arabian Sea and the defense of important civilian harbors and military bases...
rescued 56 sailors from the merchant ships and 36 fishermen from the fishing boats after they were detected by Breguet Atlantique
Breguet Atlantique
The Breguet Br.1150 Atlantic is a long-range reconnaissance aircraft, primarily designed for use over the sea. It is used in several NATO countries as a reconnaissance and patrol aircraft as well as anti-submarine aircraft. The Atlantic is also capable of carrying air-to-ground missiles...
aircraft. The heavy downpour also flooded the Kech Korandi riverine, inundating the city of Turbat
Turbat
Turbat is a city located in southern Balochistan, a province of Pakistan. The town is the administrative center of Kech District and Turbat Tehsil, the town itself contains one Union council.-About:...
and causing more than 10,000 people to evacuate their houses. At least 380 people died in Balochistan
Balochistan (Pakistan)
Balochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of...
, with another 250 dead in Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
and 100 in the North-West Frontier Province
North-West Frontier Province
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province and various other names, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the north-west of the country...
, and further rains associated with the remnants of the cyclone hampered rescue efforts. The cyclone affected at least 10 districts of Balochistan and 4 districts of Sindh, affecting the lives of atleas 1.5 million people. At least 2 million people were affected by the cyclone. More than 2 million livestock, worth over 4 billion rupees, were killed by the storm.
India
The storm killed at least 140 people in IndiaIndia
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...
, while it was still in 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...
Property losses from the storm were estimated at 24 billion rupees.
Afghanistan
Over 80 people were killed in floods associated with the remnants of Yemyin in AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
Naming
The PMD referred to the deep depression as Tropical Cyclone Yemyin, the next name on the list at the time. The IMD, the official Regional Specialized Meteorological CentreRegional Specialized Meteorological Centre
A Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre is responsible for the distribution of information, advisories, and warnings regarding the specific program they have a part of, agreed by consensus at the World Meteorological Organization as part of the World Weather Watch.-Tropical...
for the North Indian Ocean, did not operationally upgrade or name the system due to intense Indo-Pakistani relations
Indo-Pakistani relations
Relations between India and Pakistan have been strained by a number of historical and political issues, and are defined by the violent partition of British India in 1947, the Kashmir dispute and the numerous military conflicts fought between the two nations...
. However, on August 6, the IMD reassessed the deep depression to have reached cyclonic storm strength, and retroactively designated the system as Cyclonic Storm Yemyin in its mid-season review. This was confirmed by the designation of Cyclonic Storm Sidr, the next name on the list after Yemyin, in November.
See also
- List of notable tropical cyclones
- List of wettest known tropical cyclones in Pakistan
- 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...