STH posts alerts/tracks of relevant storms and extreme weather which will affect the Darjeeling - Sikkim Himalayas directly on the 'HAZARD ALERT (HA)' What's APP group so as to provide EW to communities and people who would be impacted.
HA was formed by STH two monsoons ago and today with 183 members many of whom are from the local media, NGOs and govt officials, we hope the EW message in the age of social media can reach a large number of people in time so that lives will be saved.
We will, however ALSO post info and pertinent data regarding significant storms so as to maintain a record of extreme events affecting this region.
Update as on 03May2019
- First Cyclone in Bay of Bengal in 2019. Time span from 27Apr2019 till 04May2019.
- Was the strongest cyclone in the Bay in 20yrs. One million evacuated in Odisha.
- Airports were shut down and trains cancelled and both PM Modi and CM of Bengal monitored FANI closely from control rooms.
- Became a super-typhoon for a short duration with wind speeds touching 300kmph and made landfall near Puri in the early morning of 03May with windspeeds of 200kmph.
Extensive damage in Odisha - However, minimal damage in W Bengal which was also along the track of FANI.
- It quickly weakened after landfall and rainfall in Kolkata was much less than expected.
- Fatalities remained minimal and was less than 10
- The effect of FANI in Darjeeling-Sikkim was mild with light rain (Kalimpong -25mm) and hardly any change in wind speeds.
- The storm weakened and moved towards the North Eastern states where wind velocities again reached 100kmph. Considerable damage was reported in Meghalaya
- By 05May, the storm had completely dissipated.
Praful Rao,
Kalimpong district,
Darjeeling - Sikkim Himalaya
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