Cyclone Nisarga
Nisarga making landfall on Maharashtra on 3 June | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1 June 2020 |
| Dissipated | 4 June 2020 |
| Severe cyclonic storm | |
| 3-minute sustained (IMD) | |
| Highest winds | 110 km/h (70 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 984 hPa (mbar); 29.06 inHg |
| Category 2-equivalent tropical cyclone | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
| Highest winds | 155 km/h (100 mph) |
| Lowest pressure | 968 hPa (mbar); 28.59 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 6 total |
| Damage | $803 million (2020 USD) |
| Areas affected | India (Maharashtra, Gujarat) |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2020 North Indian Ocean cyclone season | |
Severe Cyclonic Storm Nisarga (/ˈnɪsərɡə/) was the strongest tropical cyclone to strike the Indian state of Maharashtra in June since 1891. It was also the first cyclone to impact Raigad and Mumbai since Phyan in 2009.
The third depression and second named cyclone of the 2020 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, Nisarga originated as a low-pressure area in the Arabian Sea and moved generally northward. On 2 June, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) upgraded the system to a cyclonic storm, assigning the name Nisarga. On the next day, Nisarga further intensified into a severe cyclonic storm, turning northeast and making landfall approximately 95 km south of Mumbai on 3 June at peak intensity. Nisarga rapidly weakened once inland and dissipated on 4 June.
Nisarga was the second cyclone to strike the Indian subcontinent within two weeks, following Cyclone Amphan, which devastated West Bengal in May 2020. Making landfall in Maharashtra with winds of 110 km/h (70 mph), Nisarga became the strongest storm to strike the state in June since 1891.