Context: Recently, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued red alert for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Dhule, Nandurbar and Nashik districts due to the possibility of a severe cyclonic storm 'Nisarga'
About Cyclonic Storm Nisarga

• It could be the first tropical cyclone in 129 years to hit Maharashtra in the month of June.
• Nisarga is a name given by Bangladesh, one of the 13 countries that will take turns in naming future cyclones that form over the North Indian Ocean.
• Nisarga means 'nature' in Bengali language.
• Nisarga is the first moniker on a list of new cyclone names that take effect this year.
• Nisarga will be the second cyclonic storm of the 2020 North Indian Ocean cyclone season after Cyclone Amphan.

Warning of IMD

• As per the India Meteorological Department, the cyclone is likely to show its impact in Maharashtra and Gujarat.
• The authorities across the State of Maharashtra and Gujarat are concerned about the impact of this cyclonic storm on the battle against Covid-19, as the rain and flooding may set back social distancing and other necessary measures at evacuation centres, and even at some Covid-19 facilities located in low-lying areas.
• On 18th May 2020, super cyclone Amphan which was found to be one of the strongest cyclones the country has seen in the last few decades – hit West Bengal, Odisha and Bangladesh.
• While the present Cyclone Nisarga is expected to be weaker than Cyclone Amphan in its strength and intensity.
• However in case of both the cyclones, the exceptional warm ocean temperatures seem to be behind the intense storms.

About the cyclones in Arabian Sea

• The frequency of the tropical cyclones in the Arabian sea has been comparatively less when compared to that of Bay of Bengal. As per the scientists, this trend has been gradually changing.
• Also, the cyclones which are formed in the Arabian Sea side are far more weaker that those formed in the Bay of Bengal. The relatively cold waters of the Arabian Sea discourage the kind of very strong cyclones that are formed on the Bay of Bengal side.
• However, 2019 was slightly unusual as the Arabian Sea saw the most frequent and intense cyclonic activity in more than 100 years.
• Five cyclones originated in the area in 2019 — Vayu, Hikka, Kyarr, Maha and Pavan – when normally only one or two are formed.
• The Arabian Sea saw more cyclonic storms than the Bay of Bengal during 2019.
• While the Bay of Bengal reported less than normal number of cyclones. The three cyclones formed were — Cyclones Pabuk, Fani, Bulbul.
• Post-monsoon cyclones have been seen in Arabian Sea. However, pre-monsoon cyclones, such as Nisarga, have so far been rare.

About Indian Meteorological Department

• It is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India.
• It is the principal agency responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology.
• IMD is headquartered in Delhi and operates hundreds of observation stations across India and Antarctica. Regional offices are at Mumbai, Kolkata, Nagpur and Pune.
• IMD is also one of the six Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres of the World Meteorological Organization.
• It has the responsibility for forecasting, naming and distribution of warnings for tropical cyclones in the Northern Indian Ocean region, including the Malacca Straits, the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf.