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The very severe cyclone, Tej, that formed over the Arabian Sea on Sunday intensified into an extremely severe cyclone.
Kerala is likely to receive isolated heavy rainfall triggered by the weather system
Tej Cyclone
Cyclone Tej is a very severe cyclonic storm that is currently over the Arabian Sea.
It is expected to make landfall on the Yemen-Oman coast around noon on October 24.
As latest report it’s a severe cyclonic storm with wind speeds of 115-125 kmph, gusting to 140 kmph.
It is also likely to cause heavy rain and strong winds in Yemen and Oman.
The storm could also cause storm surges and coastal flooding.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is monitoring Cyclone Tej closely and is issuing regular updates.
Categories of Cyclone
Cyclones are classified on their wind speeds.
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is used to classify hurricanes in the Atlantic and East Pacific Oceans.
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale has five categories:
Category 1: Winds of (119-153 km/h)
Category 2: Winds of (154-177 km/h)
Category 3: Winds of (178-208 km/h)
Category 4: Winds of (209-251 km/h)
Category 5: Winds of (252 km/h or higher)
The IMD uses a similar scale to classify cyclones in the North Indian Ocean.
The IMD uses a slightly different scale with six categories:
Depression: Winds of (50-72 km/h)
Deep depression: Winds of (73-98 km/h)
Cyclonic storm: Winds of (99-141 km/h)
Severe cyclonic storm: Winds of (142-183 km/h)
Very severe cyclonic storm: Winds of (184-231 km/h)
Extremely severe cyclonic storm: Winds of (232 km/h or higher)
The categories of a cyclone are important because they help people to understand the potential damage that the cyclone can cause.
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