Cyclone Nisarga
Severe Cyclonic Storm Nisarga was a tropical cyclone that formed from a low-pressure area over the southeastern Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep region on 31 May 2020, developing into a depression on 1 June, a cyclonic storm later that day, and intensifying to a severe cyclonic storm by early 3 June with maximum sustained winds of 110–120 km/h (gusts to 130 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 984 hPa.[1] It tracked initially northwards before recurving northeast, covering approximately 1,294 km, and made landfall near Alibag in Maharashtra, India—about 95 km south of Mumbai—between 1230 and 1430 IST on 3 June, marking the first cyclone to strike the Maharashtra coast since Cyclone Phyan in 2009.[1] Despite initial concerns for the densely populated Mumbai metropolitan area during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted large-scale evacuations and preparedness measures, Nisarga produced heavy to very heavy rainfall (up to 19 cm in places like Mahabaleshwar), gale-force winds peaking at 110 km/h at observatories such as Ratnagiri, widespread uprooting of trees, power disruptions, and localized flooding, but spared the city from catastrophic damage due to its slightly southward track.[1] The storm resulted in at least four fatalities across Maharashtra, primarily from related incidents like falls and electrocution, alongside economic losses estimated in billions of rupees from crop damage, infrastructure repairs, and disruptions in districts like Raigad (where official surveys pegged losses at ₹200 crore).[2][3] Notably rare for the Arabian Sea basin, which accounts for only about 5% of North Indian Ocean cyclones, Nisarga highlighted vulnerabilities in urban coastal preparedness while demonstrating effective forecasting and response by the India Meteorological Department, which issued early warnings and verified gale wind predictions with high accuracy.[1]