Cyclone Biparjoy, this year's first storm looming in the Arabian Sea is rapidly turning into a severe cyclonic storm. The cyclone intensified by 74 kmph or 40 knots since Tuesday as reported by the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre.

"Cyclonic storm Biparjoy over east-central and along southeast Arabian Sea moved nearly north-northeastwards with of speed of 5 km during the last six hours, turning into a severe cyclonic storm rapidly and lay centered over the same region at 8:30 hours, about 880 km west-southwest of Goa, 990 km southwest of Mumbai, 1060 km south-southwest of Porbandar and 1360 km south of Karachi." the IMD said in an update regarding the cyclone.

According to scientists, the cyclonic storms in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal are intensifying rapidly and staying intense for long periods of time due to climate change.

"The increase in cyclone activity in the Arabian Sea is tightly linked to the rising ocean temperature and increased moisture availability under global warming." said Roxy Mathew Koll, Climate Scientist at the Indian Institue of Tropical Meteorology and Lead IPCC author.

The IMD said on Tuesday that the cyclone will likely affect monsoon development. "After the onset over Kerala, the monsoon will remain "weak" until the storm degenerates around the 12th of June", said Mahesh Palawat, vice-president (climate and meteorology), Skynet Weather.