Timeline of the 2015 North Indian Ocean cyclone season

The 2015 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was a below-average tropical cyclone season[nb 1] which featured the highest number of deaths since the 2010 season. Despite inactivity in the Bay of Bengal caused by the ongoing El Niño, the season produced an above-average number of tropical cyclones in the Arabian Sea.[1] The first storm of the season, Ashobaa, formed on 7 June, while the final storm of the season, Megh, ultimately dissipated on 10 November. A total of twelve depressions were recorded, of which nine intensified into deep depressions. Of these nine, a total of four further strengthened into cyclonic storms, while two attained their peaks as extremely severe cyclonic storms.

Timeline of the
2015 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
Season summary map
Season boundaries
First system formedJune 7, 2015
Last system dissipatedNovember 10, 2015
Strongest system
NameChapala
Maximum winds215 km/h (130 mph)
(3-minute sustained)
Lowest pressure940 hPa (mbar)
Longest lasting system
NameChapala
Duration8 days
Storm articles
Other years
2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

This timeline documents tropical cyclone formations, strengthening, weakening, landfalls, extratropical transitions, and dissipations during the season. The time stamp for each event is stated using Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the 24-hour clock where 00:00 = midnight UTC.[2] Additionally, figures for maximum sustained winds and position estimates are rounded to the nearest 5 units (Kilometres or miles). Direct wind observations are rounded to the nearest whole number. Meteorological observations typically report atmospheric pressures are measured in hectopascals per the recommendation of the World Meteorological Organization, and the nearest hundredth of an inches of mercury[3] or millibars (hectopascals).[4][5]

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is the official Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre for the Northern Indian Ocean basin,[6] and as such, it is responsible for tracking and issuing advisories on systems in the Arabian Sea and in the Bay of Bengal.[7] If tropical cyclones in the Northern Indian Ocean reach winds of 34 kn (63 km/h; 39 mph), it is given a name from a pre-defined naming list.[8] The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) unofficially issues advisories on systems in the Northern Indian Ocean,[9] assigning tropical cyclones a numerical identifier[10] and suffixing it with the letter A for systems in the Arabian Sra and B for systems in the Bay of Bengal.[11] The IMD measures tropical cyclone wind speeds over a 3-minute average[12] while the JTWC uses a 1-minute average.[10]

Timeline of events

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2015 South Indian floodsCyclone MeghCyclone ChapalaJuly 2015 Gujarat floodCyclone Komen2015 Gujarat cyclone

June

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A satellite image of Cyclonic Storm Ashobaa (01A) at peak intensity over the Arabian Sea on 9 June
Cyclonic Storm Ashobaa (01A) over the Arabian Sea on 9 June

6 June

7 June

8 June

9 June

11 June

A satellite image of a disorganized Depression BOB 01 as it makes landfall on the Odia coast late on 20 June
Depression BOB 01 while making landfall on the Odia coast late on 20 June

12 June

20 June

22 June

A satellite image of Deep Depression ARB 02 located just off the Gujarati coast shortly before landfall on 23 June
Deep Depression ARB 02 shortly before making landfall near Diu on 23 June

23 June

24 June

25 June

July

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10 July

12 July

26 July

27 July

A satellite image of Depression LAND 02 located over Rajasthan on 28 July
Depression LAND 02 over Rajasthan on 28 July

28 July

29 July

30 July

31 July

August

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A track map of Cyclonic Storm Komen (02B) during late July and early August
Storm path of Cyclonic Storm Komen (02B) during late July and early August

2 August

4 August

5 August

September

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16 September

17 September

18 September

19 September

October

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7 October

A satellite image of a disorganized Depression ARB 03 (03A) over the Arabian Sea, off the Indian coast on 9 October
Depression ARB 03 (03A) over the Arabian Sea on 9 October

9 October

11 October

12 October

27 October

28 October

A track map of Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Chapala (04A) during late October and early November
Storm path of Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Chapala (04A) during late October and early November

29 October

30 October

31 October

November

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A satellite image of a weakening Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Chapala (04A) as it approaches the Yemeni coast on 2 November
Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Chapala (04A) approaching Yemen on 2 November

1 November

2 November

3 November

4 November

A track map of Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Megh (05A) during early November
Storm path of Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Megh (05A) during early November

5 November

7 November

A satellite image of Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Megh (05A) at peak intensity just north of the island of Socotra in the Arabian Sea on 8 November
Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Megh (05A) at peak intensity just north of Socotra on 8 November

8 November

9 November

A satellite image of Deep Depression BOB 03 while the storm was located in the Bay of Bengal just off the southern Indian coast on 9 November
Deep Depression BOB 03 off the southern Indian coast on 9 November

10 November

See also

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Footnotes

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  1. According to the India Meteorological Department, an average of five tropical cyclones of at least cyclonic storm intensity form in the North Indian Ocean annually; the 2015 season featured only four such storms.[1]
  2. UTC stands for Coordinated Universal Time.
  3. IST stands for Indian Standard Time, which is equivalent to UTC+5:30.
  4. The figures for maximum sustained winds and position estimates are rounded to the nearest 5 units (knots, miles, or kilometers), following the convention used in the India Meteorological Department and Joint Typhoon Warning Center's operational products for each storm. All other units are rounded to the nearest digit.

References

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  1. 1 2 Report on Cyclonic Disturbances Over North Indian Ocean During 2015 (PDF) (Report). New Delhi, India: India Meteorological Department. April 2016. p. 18. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  2. "What is UTC or GMT Time?". Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
  3. "National Weather Service glossary page on inches of mercury". Archived from the original on 16 May 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  4. "US government atmospheric pressure map".
  5. "The Weather Channel".
  6. "Worldwide Tropical Cyclone Centers". National Hurricane Center. Miami, Florida. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  7. "Activities of RSMC, New Delhi". India Meteorological Department. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  8. Tropical Cyclone Operational Plan for the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea: 2020 (Report). Geneva, Switzerland: World Meteorological Organization. 2020. p. 12. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  9. "Products and Services Notice". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Pearl Harbor, Florida. Retrieved August 24, 2021.[dead link]
  10. 1 2 "Frequently Asked Questions". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Pearl Harbor, Florida. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  11. "North Indian Ocean Best Track Data". Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Pearl Harbor, Florida. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  12. Mohapatra, Mrutyunjay; et al., eds. (2016). WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones Annual Review 2016 (PDF) (Report). World Meteorological Organization, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. p. ix. Retrieved August 25, 2021 via India Meteorological Department.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Best Track Data for Tropical Storm Ashobaa (01A)". International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) (FTP). Retrieved 18 June 2017.[dead ftp link] (To view documents see Help:FTP)
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 "Best Track Data for Tropical Cyclones (1990-2016)". India Meteorological Department. Archived from the original on 23 December 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  15. 1 2 3 4 "Best Track Data for Tropical Storm Komen (02B)". International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) (FTP). Retrieved 18 June 2017.[dead ftp link] (To view documents see Help:FTP)
  16. 1 2 3 4 "Best Track Data for Tropical Storm ARB 03 (03A)". International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) (FTP). Retrieved 18 June 2017.[dead ftp link] (To view documents see Help:FTP)
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Best Track Data for Tropical Cyclone Chapala (04A)". International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) (FTP). Retrieved 18 June 2017.[dead ftp link] (To view documents see Help:FTP)
  18. Derek Baldwin (2 November 2015). "Cyclone Chapala to dump 400mm of rainfall in Yemen". Gulf News. Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Archived from the original on 26 April 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  19. Bob Henson (3 November 2015). "Chapala Slams Yemen: First Hurricane-Strength Cyclone on Record". Weather Underground. Archived from the original on 30 March 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Best Track Data for Tropical Cyclone Megh (05A)". International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) (FTP). Retrieved 18 June 2017.[dead ftp link] (To view documents see Help:FTP)