Cyclone fury fading: Storm intensity dips even as Bay of Bengal stays prone

Cyclone Montha batters India's east coast as data shows a sharp drop in cyclone frequency and fatalities, with the Bay of Bengal still accounting for most storms since 2019

The tropical cyclone Montha, which hit India’s eastern coast with heavy rain and strong winds on October 29, left three people dead in Andhra Pradesh. There has been a notable decline in India’s cyclone activity in recent years, with only five storms intensifying to the top two severe levels since 2019. Despite this overall dip, the Bay of Bengal remains the country’s most cyclone-prone zone, accounting for nearly 65 per cent of all cyclones since 2019.

 

Fewer and weaker storms hit India 

India witnessed three to four cyclones annually between 2019 and 2023. However, in recent years, the frequency has declined, with only one cyclone recorded in 2024 and another so far in 2025. Cyclone Mocha — a Category 5 storm — in 2023 was the most powerful cyclone recorded recently. It had caused intensive damage across India’s northeast region.  

Note: The scale ranks hurricanes from Category 1 (least severe) to Category 5 (most severe). However, tropical storms cause even less damage than Category 1. Source: worlddata.info

 

Sharp decline in fatalities 

The share of deaths caused by cyclones in total fatalities by natural disasters steadily declined from 0.4 per cent in 2019 to nearly zero in 2023. 

Source: NCRB

 

Maharashtra, Gujarat lead in cyclone deaths 

Maharashtra saw the most number of deaths caused by cyclones during 2019-23, followed by Gujarat. The position changed when it came to deaths caused by cyclones in proportion to fatalities caused by natural disasters in the respective states. In this period, India saw the most number of cyclone-related fatalities in 2021, with 118 deaths.

fatalities, mainly reported from Gujarat and Maharashtra. 

Source: NCRB, BS calculations