2016 North Indian Ocean cyclone season

The season officially started with the formation of Cyclone Roanu over in the Bay of Bengal on 17 May. The beginning of June witnessed no storms, although a lot of low pressure areas formed over Bay of Bengal, but none of these intensified into a depression due to a very strong southwest monsoon. At the end of June, Depression ARB 01 formed but weakened within two days. July witnessed no storms until a deep depression formed in August under the influence of an upper air cyclonic circulation over Gangetic West Bengal. However, multiple low pressure areas occurred on the Bay of Bengal, with Cyclonic Storm Kyant forming in October and Cyclonic Storm Nada in November. Due to warm sea surface temperatures Very Severe Cyclone Vardah formed in December.

Cyclonic Storm Roanu

Under the influence of a trough, a low pressure area formed over the Bay of Bengal on 14 May. It slowly consolidated, prompting the IMD to classify it as a depression on 17 May. By the late hours of 17 May, a tropical cyclone formation alert (TCFA) was issued, following which the system was upgraded to tropical storm intensity by the JTWC. The next day, the IMD upgraded the storm to a Deep Depression, prompting the issuance of cyclone warnings for the states of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. On 19 May, the IMD reported that the storm had reached cyclonic storm intensity, naming it Roanu. The cyclone drifted in a northeastward track and continued to gain intensity until persistent wind shear and its proximity to land eventually caused it to start weakening on the same day. However, the wind shear soon decreased, and Roanu reintensified as deep convection became established over and around the low-level circulation center (LLCC). Moving generally east-northeastwards, the storm made landfall near Chittagong, Bangladesh on May 21, upon which it rapidly weakened. It dissipated over Gangetic West Bengal on 22 May. The outer rainbands of the storm gave heavy rain in south Bengal including Kolkata.

Depression ARB 01

On 27 June, a low pressure system intensified into a depression in the Arabian Sea. It turned westwards and moved to the cooler sections of the Arabian sea and gradually weakened. It dissipated on open waters on 29 June. Rain in Oman was the result of the depression. The depression that formed over the Northwest Arabian Sea and moved towards the Oman coast, and weakened. However, this weakened system continued to give rain over Oman in Ash Sharqiya and Al Wusta region. Mostly southern parts of Oman was affected by this system.

Land Depression 01

A well-marked low-pressure area developed into a depression on 9 August, close to Canning, West Bengal, India. The next day, it moved northeastwards and intensified into a deep depression overland in Bangladesh, about 100 km (62 mi) east-northeast of Kolkata.

Eight trawlers with a collective 118 fishermen aboard went missing over the Bay of Bengal during the storm; at least 2 people are feared dead. The Indian Coast Guard launched a large-scale search and rescue operation to locate the missing fishermen. All of the trawlers later returned to port, with one requiring assistance due to engine failure. 5 fishermen went missing due to the storm out of which 2 died in the Hugli delta.

The deep depression moved towards Jharkhand on 11 August and quickly degenerated into a depression. Heavy rains fell over districts in West Bengal, such as Birbhum, Purulia and Bardhaman, and even in Kolkata, which led to flooding in some areas. Flooding also occurred in Jharkhand and West Bengal due to the increase of river waters in Damodar and Hugli.

Deep Depression BOB 02

A low pressure area formed over the Bay of Bengal in mid-August. It slowly consolidated, prompting the IMD to upgrade the system to a Depression on August 16. The system slowly moved northwestwards, and intensified into a Deep Depression the following day, before making landfall over the coast of West Bengal between Digha and Diamond Harbour.

The system brought heavy rainfall to the eastern states of India, a region which was experiencing deficient monsoon rains. Chandabali and Balasore in Odisha recorded 146 mm (5.7 in) and 90 mm (3.5 in) of rainfall respectively in a span of 21 hours. Heavy rains fell in West Bengal, including Kolkata, which recorded winds of 70 kmph. At least 6 people have died in Kolkata directly due to the storm. In Jharkhand, two teams of the National Disaster Response Force were deployed in Garhwa and Chatra districts of the state amid concerns of a possible flash flood.

Cyclonic Storm Kyant

An area of low pressure formed over east-central Bay of Bengal on October 19. It slowly consolidated and was upgraded to a Depression on October 21. The system tracked over a marginally favorable environment, and intensified into a Deep Depression on October 23. This was shortly followed by the JTWC issuing a TCFA for the system. On October 24, both the IMD and JWTC reported the storm had reached tropical cyclone strength, naming it Kyant. Initially following a northeastward path, the storm recurved westward off the coast of Myanmar along the souther periphery of a subtropical ridge towards the eastern coast of India. Shortly thereafter, Kyant reached its peak intensity with sustained winds exceeding 85 km/h (50 mph) and a minimal central pressure of 998 mbar (29.47 inHg). Over the following days, the system commenced dry-air intrusion due to proximity to land, and within a span of six hours, it lost most of its convective structure and rapidly degenerated, as it drifted further west-southwestward. The JTWC issued their final warning at 21:00 UTC on October 26, and Kyant was last noted as a well-marked low pressure area off the coast of southern Andhra Pradesh on October 28.

Depression BOB 04

An area of convection persisted in the Gulf of Thailand on October 31. It crossed the Malay Peninsula and drifted northwestwards into the Bay of Bengal over the next few days as it steadily organized. Being located in a highly favourable environment, the system rapidly consolidated, which inclined the JTWC to issue a TCFA on November 2. The IMD reported that the area of low pressure had concentrated into a Depression on the next day. However the storm moved into an area of very high wind shear, prompting the JTWC to cancel the TCFA on November 4. The system gradually weakened as it tracked along the eastern coast of India over the following days, and dissipated near southeast Bangladesh on November 6. However, the weakened system gave heavy rain in coastal areas of West Bengal and Bangladesh, killing 80 people directly.

Cyclonic Storm Nada

Under the influence of a trough, low pressure area formed in extreme southeast Bay of bengal. It slowly consolidated enough to be classified as a depression BOB 05 on 29 November. This was followed by the JTWC issuing a TCFA for the system while it was rapidly concentrating to a deep depression. Remaining as a deep depression for a short time, the storm quickly intensified into a cyclonic storm and was named Nada by the IMD. Shortly thereafter, the storm reached its peak intensity with winds exceeding 75 km/h (45 mph) and a minimum central pressure of 1,000 mbar (29.53 inHg). Over the following days, the storm encountered high wind shear, which together with land interaction caused it to rapidly weaken and cross the coast of Tamil Nadu near Karaikal as a depression. The system was last noted as a well marked low pressure area over southern Karnataka.

In the wake of Nada, the schools in Tamil Nadu declared a two-day holiday to be available as cyclone shelters. Heavy rainfall lashed southern India and Sri Lanka. Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu recorded 110 mm (4.3 in) rainfall within 24 hours on December 2. Jaffna, Sri Lanka also reported 110 mm (4.3 in) of rainfall.Tirupati airport Recorded a total of 272 mm (10.7 in), which was highest total from the Cyclone. 12 deaths were reported due to incidents related to the storm.

Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Vardah

Under the influence of a persistent area of convection, a low pressure area formed in Malay Peninsula and adjoining north Sumatra. It emerged as a tropical disturbance in the following days as it was moving slowly towards southeast Bay of Bengal. On 6 December, The IMD classified the system as Depression BOB 06 as it had sufficiently organized itself with winds of 45 km/h (30 mph). Owing to low wind shear and favorable sea surface temperatures, the storm gradually intensified into a deep depression the following day. Skirting off the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as a deep depression, BOB 06 was upgraded to a cyclonic storm by the IMD and JTWC in the early hours of 8 December, and was assigned the name Vardah.

With conditions favorable for further development, Vardah intensified into a severe cyclonic storm on 9 December. Although predicted to maintain its intensity, Vardah consolidated further as it followed a generally west-northwestwards track, prompting the IMD to upgrade its intensity to very severe cyclonic storm status on December 10. Gradually intensifying as it moved westwards, Vardah reached its peak intensity on 11 December with winds of 130 km/h (80 mph) and a minimum central pressure of 982 mbar (29.00 inHg).

Vardah brought heavy rainfall to Andaman and Nicobar Islands as a deep depression. Hut Bay recorded 166 mm (6.5 in) of rainfall on December 6, while Port Blair recorded 167 mm (6.6 in) of rainfall on December 7. More than 1,400 tourists were stranded on the Havelock and Neil islands of the archipelago. The cyclone prompted India's largest evacuation in 2 years of 16000 people. 24 deaths related to the cyclone have been reported in the State of Tamil Nadu. The Cyclone dumped extreme rainfall of 382 mm (15.0 in) in Sathyabama University, Chennai and 341 mm (13.4 in) in Katupakkam a suburb of Chennai in 24 hrs while making landfall.

Depression ARB 02

The remnants of Cyclone Vardah crossed the Indian peninsula and entered the Arabian Sea on 14 December. Owing to warm sea surface temperatures, it consolidated into a depression on 17 December. The following day, the system entered an area marked by colder sea surface temperatures and high wind shear, causing it to rapidly weaken into a well marked low pressure area.

Season effects

This is a table of all storms in the 2016 North Indian Ocean cyclone season. It mentions all of the season's storms and their names, duration, peak intensities (according to the IMD storm scale), damage, and death totals. Damage and death totals include the damage and deaths caused when that storm was a precursor wave or extratropical low, and all of the damage figures are in 2016 USD.