Cyclones are moving beasts and the place that comes in the eye of the storm usually also gets lashed before and after it. In fact, the eye of the storm is the calmest place to be. The eye is commonly misunderstood as the stormiest part of the storm (have you been using it right?). Depending on the size of the storm, the eye can span several kilometres. On weather maps, it's typically coded a deep lemon-yellow. This is the very epicentre of the cyclone. What is the eye of the storm-and is it the worst place to be? In 1999, the cyclone that struck Odisha clocked wind speeds of over 221km/hour, making it the rare Super-Cyclone. Anything between 89-118km/hr is tagged as a Severe Cyclonic Storm, while 119-221km/hr would make it a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm.Ĭyclone Amphan was a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm when it made landfall Cyclone Nisarga is currently a Severe Cyclonic Storm. When surface wind speeds clock 62-88km/hr, it's classified as a Cyclonic Storm. If the maximum sustained wind speed lies in the range 28 knots (52km/hr) to 33 knots (61km/hr), it is a 'deep depression'. Without getting too technical, it is the average wind speed whipped up by the cyclone, measured over a short period of time (typically, 10 mins). This determines the intensity and impact of the cyclone. The surface speed or the sustained wind speed is the one to watch.

Eye of the storm story