Cyclone Vayu

North Indian cyclone in 2019

Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Vayu
A satellite image of a strong tropical cyclone with a distinct eye evident amid a circular disc of clouds.
Vayu at peak intensity on 13 June, just off the coast of Gujarat's Saurashtra Peninsula
Meteorological history
Formed10 June 2019
Remnant low17 June 2019
Dissipated18 June 2019
Very severe cyclonic storm
3-minute sustained (IMD)
Highest winds150 km/h (90 mph)
Lowest pressure970 hPa (mbar); 28.64 inHg
Category 3-equivalent tropical cyclone
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC)
Highest winds185 km/h (115 mph)
Lowest pressure948 hPa (mbar); 27.99 inHg
Overall effects
Fatalities8 total
Damage$140,000 (2019 USD)
Areas affectedMaldives, India, Pakistan, Oman
IBTrACSEdit this at Wikidata

Part of the 2019 North Indian Ocean cyclone season

Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Vayu (/ˈvɑːjuː/) was a strong tropical cyclone that caused moderate damage in India during June 2019. It was the strongest tropical cyclone to affect the Saurashtra Peninsula of northwestern India since the 1998 Gujarat cyclone.[1][2] Vayu was the third tropical depression, third cyclonic storm and second very severe cyclonic storm of the 2019 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, and the first of which to form in the Arabian Sea. Vayu originated from a low-pressure area that was first noted by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on 9 June, near the northern Maldives. After consolidating into a depression, the storm tracked slowly north-northwestward over the eastern Arabian Sea, and reached cyclonic storm intensity late on 10 June. Steady strengthening continued into 11 June, and the storm underwent rapid intensification late in the day. Vayu reached peak intensity as a high-end very severe cyclonic storm at 06:00 UTC on 12 June, with three-minute sustained winds of 150 km/h (95 mph) and a minimum pressure of 970 hPa (28.64 inHg).[3] Despite initially being forecast to make landfall in the state of Gujarat, Vayu turned abruptly to the west on 13 June and moved away from the coast. The system weakened gradually as it tracked slowly towards the Arabian Peninsula, then weakened more quickly after beginning to accelerate back towards India on 16 June. Vayu was downgraded to a deep depression the following morning, and further to a depression a few hours later. The system degenerated into a well-marked low-pressure area late on 17 June, just before crossing the Gujarat coast. Vayu's remnants continued inland for several more hours, before dissipating on 18 June.

In total, as many as 6.6 million people in northwestern India were impacted by the cyclone.[4] Approximately 300,000 residents of coastal Gujarat were evacuated on 12 June in preparation for the system's arrival,[1] and thousands of personnel were deployed to the region to assist with preparations, rescue operations and clean up efforts. As of 18 June, eight people are reported to have been killed either directly or indirectly by the cyclone, and at least 12 more injured.[5][6][7][8][9]

The name Vayu was provided by India, and is derived from a Sanskrit and Hindi word meaning 'wind'.[10]

Meteorological history

Map plotting the storm's track and intensity, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale
  Tropical depression (≤38 mph, ≤62 km/h)
  Tropical storm (39–73 mph, 63–118 km/h)
  Category 1 (74–95 mph, 119–153 km/h)
  Category 2 (96–110 mph, 154–177 km/h)
  Category 3 (111–129 mph, 178–208 km/h)
  Category 4 (130–156 mph, 209–251 km/h)
  Category 5 (≥157 mph, ≥252 km/h)
  Unknown
Storm type
circle Tropical cyclone
square Subtropical cyclone
triangle Extratropical cyclone, remnant low, tropical disturbance, or monsoon depression