Abstract This study identifies a significant increasing trend in the frequency of cyclonic storms (CS; maximum sustained winds exceeding 34 kts) over the northern Indian Ocean (NIO), primarily contributed by a pronounced rise in the number of very severe cyclonic storms (VSCS; maximum sustained wind speed exceeding 64 kts) since 1979. The observed increase in the VSCS frequency is closely associated with the enhanced lower‐middle tropospheric relative humidity due to the vertical moisture advection processes. The strengthened upward motion is primarily caused by anomalous positive vorticity advection by mean westerly flows. Through analysis of Detection and Attribution Model Intercomparison Project (DAMIP) experiments, it is demonstrated that the mid‐level cyclonic circulation trend is predominantly forced by greenhouse gas emissions, while anthropogenic aerosols exert a dampening effect. These findings underscore an escalating risk of stronger cyclones for the densely populated coastal nations around the NIO under continued climate change.

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