Did the “Tauktae” cyclone impact the upper atmosphere through traveling ionospheric disturbances? A case study over the Arabian Sea using measurements from InSWIM network stations

In May 2021, the Arabian Sea experienced Cyclone Tauktae, the first pre-monsoon tropical cyclone of the year and the fifth strongest ever recorded over the Arabian Sea. It originated from a depression near the Lakshadweep Islands on May 14, 2021, rapidly intensified into an extremely severe cyclonic storm by May 17, 2021, and made landfall on May 19, 2021. During its passage, the Arabian Sea experienced highly convective and disturbed conditions. We used this powerful tropical cyclone amid geomagnetically quiet conditions to explore its potential effects on the ionospheric region. Using the COSMO regional atmospheric model, we simulated the movement of Cyclone Tauktae and lower atmospheric conditions. Additionally, we utilized ionospheric data from Kavaratti, GMRT, and Pune to investigate the possible impacts of cyclonic storms on the upper atmosphere. These three stations were selected from the Indian Network for Space Weather Impact Monitoring (InSWIM) network. Analysis of the Vertical Total Electron Content (VTEC) measurements from May 14 to 18, 2021 (cyclone-influenced days) and May 05, 2021 (non-cyclone day) revealed a prominent presence of Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances (TIDs) during the cyclone days. Spectral analysis of TEC data showed significant TID spectral power enhancements ($\sim$ 5) on May 16–17, 2021, at Pune and GMRT, with wave velocities ranging from 100 to 125 m/s. As the geomagnetic conditions remained quiet during both the non-cyclone day and the cyclone-influenced days, the observed TIDs are attributed to the forcing from the lower atmosphere, eventually associated with the presence of Cyclone Tauktae.