An ISRO assessment has warned of an intense cyclone season between October and December, while the national weather agency says it never issued any such forecast. Here is what we know.

ISRO’s Space Applications Centre assessed that up to three major cyclones could form over the North Indian Ocean in the period. It estimated the season’s combined destructive potential could be about 83 per cent higher than the 44-year average.

The assessment was based on about 40 years of oceanic and atmospheric data. It indicates the season’s overall potential intensity, not where or when any individual cyclone would form or make landfall.

On September 16, the India Meteorological Department rejected claims of ‘three cyclones,’ clarifying it had not issued any such forecast. Officials said any significant development would come through official advisories.

The October-to-December window is traditionally active for cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. For now, the IMD’s advisories remain the official word to watch.