India, Nov. 12 -- Two cyclones striking the Andhra Pradesh coast within a week have raised several climatological questions. Very severe cyclone Arnab made a prolonged landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast in the early hours of October 28. On the morning of November 3, severe cyclone Murasu followed, hitting the same coastal region. Even as Arnab was approaching the coast, Murasu was already taking shape. While such back-to-back formations are being viewed as a climatological anomaly, the occurrence of two powerful cyclones in quick succession challenges the conventional understanding of the atmospheric and oceanic conditions that govern cyclone formation.

Both cyclones have left behind a trail of destruction. Around 25 districts acros...