| First storm formed | May 16, 1992 |
|---|---|
| Last storm dissipated | December 24, 1992 |
| Strongest storm | Forrest – 952 hPa (mbar), 185 km/h (115 mph) (3-minute sustained) |
| Depressions | 12 |
| Deep depressions | 11 |
| Cyclonic storms | 7 |
| Severe cyclonic storms | 2 |
| Super cyclonic storms | 1 |
| Total fatalities | 189 total |
| Total damage | $124.1 million (1992 USD) |
| North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 |
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The 1992 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was the most active year on record in terms of tropical cyclone development, with twelve tropical storms forming throughout the year. The season has no official bounds but cyclones tend to form within this basin between April and December. 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 Center in this basin is the India Meteorological Department (IMD), while the Joint Typhoon Warning Center releases unofficial advisories. An average of four to six storms form in the North Indian Ocean every season with peaks in May and November. Cyclones occurring between the meridians 45°E and 100°E are included in the season by the IMD.
During the season, 12 tropical depressions formed within the North Indian Ocean whilst Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Forrest moved into the region from the Western Pacific. Six of the 12 depressions forming within this basin were judged to have intensified into a Cyclonic storm by the IMD whilst five more were judged to have intensified into a Tropical Storm by the JTWC. The IMD reported that the most intense storm in this basin this year was Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Forrest.
| Cyclonic storm (IMD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHS) | |||
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| Duration | May 16 – May 19 | ||
| Intensity | 65 km/h (40 mph) (3-min), 992 mbar (hPa) | ||
The monsoon trough spawned a tropical depression on May 15 over the Bay of Bengal. It headed to the northwest, then turned to the northeast, becoming a tropical storm on the 17th. It slowly strengthened to become a cyclone, just before hitting Myanmar on the 19th.
| Cyclonic storm (IMD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical storm (SSHS) | |||
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| Duration | June 8 – June 12 | ||
| Intensity | 85 km/h (50 mph) (3-min), 994 mbar (hPa) | ||
From June 3 to the 12th, a tropical storm existed over the Arabian Sea, never strengthening beyond minimal tropical storm strength over the open waters.
| Tropical storm (SSHS) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Duration | June 14 – June 18 | ||
| Intensity | 85 km/h (50 mph) (1-min), 981 mbar (hPa) | ||
On June 14, the monsoon trough developed a tropical depression over the Bay of Bengal. It tracked northward, becoming a tropical storm on the 17th before turning to the west and hitting India. The storm dissipated on the 18th.
| Tropical storm (SSHS) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Duration | July 24 – July 28 | ||
| Intensity | 75 km/h (45 mph) (1-min), 985 mbar (hPa) | ||
The monsoon trough spawned a tropical depression over the northern Bay of Bengal on July 24. It strengthened to a tropical storm on the 26th before hitting India. This rare July cyclone dissipated on the 28th.
| Tropical depression (SSHS) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Duration | September 21 – September 25 | ||
| Intensity | 55 km/h (35 mph) (1-min), 1000 mbar (hPa) | ||
A monsoon depression moved westward over the northern Bay of Bengal, becoming more tropical on September 22. It hit near the Indian/Bangladesh coastline on the 23rd as a depression, and dissipated 2 days later over India.
| Cyclonic storm (IMD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical storm (SSHS) | |||
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| Duration | October 1 – October 3 | ||
| Intensity | 85 km/h (50 mph) (3-min), 996 mbar (hPa) | ||
On September 29, a tropical depression formed over India. It tracked westward, slowly strengthening to a tropical storm on the 1st due to vertical shear. The shear abated enough to let the storm reach a peak of 65 mph winds, but it returned, weakening the system to a 50 mph storm just before hitting eastern Oman on the 3rd.
| Tropical storm (SSHS) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Duration | October 4 – October 9 | ||
| Intensity | 85 km/h (50 mph) (1-min), 991 mbar (hPa) | ||
A tropical depression that developed in the Bay of Bengal on October 4 tracked westward to become a tropical storm on the 7th. It turned more to the north, and hit southeastern India as a 50 mph tropical storm on the 9th. No damage was reported.
| Cyclonic storm (IMD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical depression (SSHS) | |||
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| Duration | October 13 – October 22 | ||
| Intensity | 85 km/h (50 mph) (3-min), 996 mbar (hPa) | ||
On October 13, a tropical depression formed in the Bay of Bengal. It tracked to the northwest, then the northeast where it hit Bangladesh on the 21st as a 35 mph tropical depression.
| Cyclonic storm (IMD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical storm (SSHS) | |||
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| Duration | November 3 – November 7 | ||
| Intensity | 85 km/h (50 mph) (3-min), 998 mbar (hPa) | ||
A broad area of convection in the central Bay of Bengal organized into a tropical depression on October 31. It headed northwestward, becoming a tropical storm on the 3rd and reaching a peak of 65 mph winds on the 5th. Upper level shear caused it to dissipate on the 8th over open waters.
| Severe cyclonic storm (IMD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category 1 tropical cyclone (SSHS) | |||
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| Duration | November 3 – November 7 | ||
| Intensity | 100 km/h (65 mph) (3-min), 994 mbar (hPa) | ||
A disturbance over the South China Sea became a weak tropical depression on November 6. It moved westward, crossing the Malay Peninsula and entering the Bay of Bengal on the 8th. On the 11th, the system became Tropical Storm Ten, and hit southern Sri Lanka as a 65 mph storm on the 12th. The next day it became a cyclone with a peak of 80 mph winds before hitting southern India. After weakening to a tropical depression over India, it restrengthened to a 65 mph storm before making landfall on western India on the 17th.
At least 243 people were reported dead from this system.[1]
| Very severe cyclonic storm (IMD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category 4 tropical cyclone (SSHS) | |||
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| Duration | November 16 – November 22 | ||
| Intensity | 185 km/h (115 mph) (3-min), 952 mbar (hPa) | ||
On November 8 a tropical depression formed from the monsoon trough east of the Philippines. It crossed the islands, and strengthened to a tropical storm in the South China Sea on the 12th. Forrest continued westward until hitting and crossing the Malay Peninsula on the 15th.
Tropical Storm Forrest crossed the Malay Peninsula and reached the Bay of Bengal on November 15. It continued west-northwestward until a building ridge to its west brought Forrest more northward. As it turned to the north, Forrest reached Cyclone strength on the 18th. Because upper level winds were out of the southwest, Forrest was able to strengthen as it headed northeastward, reaching a peak of 145 mph winds before the shear finally took its toll. It hit a sparsely populated area of Myanmar on November 21 as a 95 mph cyclone, and dissipated the next day.
Not even a year after the destructive Bangladesh cyclone of 1991, full precautions were taken to minimize the death toll; 500,000 people were evacuated from the coastline. Only 2 people were killed, due to the small size of the storm, the few people in the area where it hit, and the evacuation orders.
| Tropical storm (SSHS) | |||
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| Duration | November 30 – December 4 | ||
| Intensity | 85 km/h (50 mph) (1-min), 991 mbar (hPa) | ||
From November 29 through December 4 a tropical storm existed south of India, peaking at 60 mph winds before dissipating over open waters due to vertical shear.
| Tropical storm (SSHS) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Duration | December 20 – December 24 | ||
| Intensity | 95 km/h (60 mph) (1-min), 987 mbar (hPa) | ||
The final storm of the season developed from the near equatorial trough in the Arabian Sea on December 18. It tracked westward, becoming a tropical storm on the 20th and a peak of 60 mph winds on the 23rd. The storm hit Somalia the next day, bringing heavy yet beneficial rain to the dry country. 12A caused no reported damage.
| Storm name |
Dates active | Storm category
at peak intensity |
Max 10-min wind km/h (mph) |
Min. press. (mbar) |
Areas affected | Damage (millions USD) |
Deaths | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOB 01 | May 16 – May 19 | Cyclonic storm | 40 | 992 | Rakhine State, Myanmar | May 19 | 40 | 55.1 | 5 | |
| ARB 02 | June 8 – June 12 | Cyclonic storm | 50 | 994 | none | None | None | |||
| 03B | June 14 – June 18 | Tropical storm | 50 | 981 | none | None | None | |||
| 04B | July 24 – July 28 | Tropical storm | 45 | 985 | none | None | None | |||
| 05B | September 21 – September 25 | Tropical depression | 35 | 1000 | none | None | None | |||
| ARB 03 | October 1 – October 3 | Cyclonic storm | 45 | 998 | none | None | None | |||
| 07B | October 4 – October 9 | Tropical storm | 45 | 991 | none | None | None | |||
| BOB 04 | October 13 – October 22 | Cyclonic storm | 45 | 1000 | none | None | None | |||
| BOB 05 | November 3 – November 7 | Cyclonic storm | 50 | 980 | none | None | None | |||
| BOB 06 | November 11 – November 17 | Severe cyclonic storm | 65 | 994 | Komari, Sri Lanka | November 12 | 50 | 69 | 179 | |
| Tamil Nadu, India | November 13 | 65 | ||||||||
| Karnataka, India | November 17 | 35 | ||||||||
| Forrest | November 16 – November 21 | Very severe cyclonic storm | 115 | 952 | Myanmar | November 21 | 50 | unk | 5 | |
| 11A | November 30 – December 4 | Tropical storm | 50 | 991 | none | None | None | |||
| 12A | December 20 – December 24 | Tropical storm | 60 | 987 | Somalia | December 24 | 60 | None | None | |
| Season Aggregates | ||||||||||
| 13 Depressions | November 8 – December 20 | 105 | 968 | 4 landfalls | 124.1 | 189 | ||||
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