‘Climate change triggering cyclones’

The Hindu , Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Correspondent : K.S. Sudhi
KOCHI: Climatic changes are generating “most intense cyclones” in the Arabian Sea and upsetting food productivity and availability of drinking water in many regions.

There has been a five-fold increase in the most intense cyclones in the Arabian Sea since 1995. Cyclones with a wind speed of more than 100 km an hour are designated as most intense cyclones, say scientists.

A team of researchers who studied the response of the Arabian Sea to global warming and associated regional climate shift have concluded that the “signatures of this climate-shift are also perceptible over the adjacent landmass of India as progressively warmer winters, and decreased decadal monsoon rainfall.”

The climatic changes also have “possible impact on frequency and intensity of cyclones, summer monsoon rainfall, wheat production, land vegetation cover and frequency of heat spells.”

In the Arabian Sea, cyclones are formed mostly during May-June and October-November periods. The cyclones during May and June are formed within the Arabian Sea itself. However, during October and November, cyclones are mostly formed over the Bay of Bengal and cross over to the Arabian Sea. The States of Goa, Gujarat and Maharashtra endure most of the cyclones, scientists said.

The study was conducted by a team of researchers comprising S. Prasanna Kumar, Raj P. Roshin and Jayu Narvekar of the National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, P.K. Dinesh Kumar of the Kochi Regional Centre of the Institute, and E. Vivekanandan of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi.

It was observed that there was rainfall deficiency of 71 mm during 1995-2005 against the deficiency of 8 mm during 1985-1995. This has direct links to climate changes. The rainfall deficiency will lead to drinking water crisis and food productivity, said Dr. Prasannakumar.

 
SOURCE : Tuesday, July 14, 2009
 


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