Secondary convective rings in an intense asymmetric cyclone of the Bay or Bengal

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The severe cyclonic storm with a core of hurricane winds of 4-11 May 1990, which crossed the Indian east coast near Machilipatnarn (Andhra Pradesh), was one of the most intense cyclones in recent years over the Bay of Bengal region of the north Indian Ocean. The storm reported the minimum sea level pressure of 912 hPa, the lowest observed value for any cyclone in the region. The storm exhibited certain interesting structural characteristics. The most striking  feature observed was the formation of secondary convective rings wrapped around the primary eyewall. These features were observed for nearly two days by four cyclone detection radars (CDR) located on the east coast of India. The paper presents an analysis of these features. We find that the double eye-wall structure of the storm has undergone a repetitive cycle characterized by the contraction of the outer eyewall and the weakening of the inner eyewall during the life of the cyclone. These interesting characteristics are observed for the first time in the north Indian Ocean for any cyclone. Some of the related aspects of double eyewall features, such as, the possible role of double eyewall structure on the recurvature or turning of the storm and the effect of land obstacle in the development of a secondary eyewall are discussed.