Climatology of tornadoes of India and Bangladesh

Abstract

On the basis of 51 tomadic events reported since 1835, the climatology of tornadoes across the Indian Subcontinent is elucidated. Tornadoes are most likely to occur during the late afternoon of the pre-monsoon months in northeast India or Bangladesh. A secondary maximum exists for the post-monsoon transitional period in the Northeast; moreover, tornadoes have been reported in a corridor extending to the northwest toward Pakistan. The characteristic weather patterns favoring the pre-monsoon severe storms are described. It is speculated that cycles of tornado years may be correlated to periods of reduced tropical cyclone activity. © 1981 Springer-Verlag.