| 2002 North Indian Ocean cyclone season | |
|---|---|
 Season summary map | |
| Seasonal boundaries | |
| First system formed | May 6, 2002 |
| Last system dissipated | December 25, 2002 |
| Strongest storm | |
| Name | BOB 03 |
| • Maximum winds | 100 km/h (65 mph) (3-minute sustained) |
| • Lowest pressure | 984 hPa (mbar) |
| Seasonal statistics | |
| Depressions | 7 |
| Deep depressions | 6 |
| Cyclonic storms | 4 |
| Severe cyclonic storms | 1 |
| Total fatalities | At least 182 total |
| Total damage | $25 million (2002 USD) |
| Related articles | |
The 2002 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was a below average season in terms of tropical cyclone formation. The season had no official bounds, but most storms formed in either May or after October. No depressions or storms formed during the monsoon season from July to September, the first such instance on record. There are two main seas in the North Indian Ocean – the Bay of Bengal to the east of the Indian subcontinent – and the Arabian Sea to the west of India. The official Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre in this basin is the India Meteorological Department (IMD), while the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) releases unofficial advisories. An average of four to six storms form in the North Indian Ocean every season with peaks in May and November.[1] Cyclones occurring between the meridians 45°E and 100°E are included in the season by the IMD.[2]
Overall, there was a total of seven depressions and four cyclonic storms. The most intense and deadly tropical cyclone of the season, the West Bengal cyclone, lashed that province of India and Bangladesh in the month of November. Rough seas offshore caused at least 173 drownings offshore Bangladesh and India, while over 100 people were left missing. In West Bengal alone, 124 fatalities were reported, with over one hundred people still missing. Flooding occurred there and some areas of Bangladesh, particularly the capital city of Dhaka. Another notable storm was the Oman cyclone in May. It made a rare landfall in the Omani region of Dhofar. The storm brought historic rainfall to Oman, which in turn brought flooding to the region. Nine people drowned and damage to property, crops, and transportation reached US$25 million (2002 dollars).
- ^ Staff Writer. IMD Cyclone Warning Services: Tropical Cyclones (Report). India Meteorological Department. Archived from the original on 4 November 2008. Retrieved October 21, 2008.
- ^ Staff Writer (January 2009). Report on Cyclonic Disturbances Over the North Indian During 2008 (Report). India Meteorological Department. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 29, 2009. Retrieved May 17, 2009.