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Cyclone Fengal

IAS Current Affairs

Cyclone Fengal

Source: The Hindu

GS III:  Environment and Conservation

Overview

  1. News in Brief
  2. About Cyclone Fengal
  3. What are Cyclones?

Why in the News?  

Cyclone Fengal made landfall over Puducherry on Saturday (November 30) evening. 

News in Brief
  • The Meteorological Department has issued a warning of significant rainfall.
  • Cyclone Fengal made landfall near Puducherry on Novemver 30.
About Cyclone Fengal
  • It brings heavy rainfall and gusty winds to Tamil Nadu’s coastal belt, including Chennai and Puducherry.
  • This is the second cyclone to impact India’s east coast in two months after Cyclone Dana.
  • Cyclone Fengal, initially stagnant, intensified as it moved closer to land, reaching about 120 km east of Puducherry and 110 km southeast of Chennai before landfall.
  • The cyclone made landfall between Mahabalipuram and Karaikal with wind speeds of 70-80 km/hr, gusting to 90 km/hr. Heavy rainfall and gusty winds disrupted public transport, with buses, trains, and flights affected.

Characteristics

  • Wind Speed: The cyclone brought wind speeds of 70-80 km/hr, gusting up to 90 km/hr.
  • Rainfall: Heavy rainfall was recorded across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, leading to flooding in several areas. 
  • Landfall: Cyclone Fengal made landfall between Mahabalipuram and Karaikal, causing significant disruption to public transport, including buses, trains, and flights

Impact

  • Infrastructure Damage: The strong winds and heavy rainfall caused damage to infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and buildings. 
  • Agricultural Losses: The cyclone affected agricultural lands, leading to crop damage and loss of livestock. 
  • Humanitarian Impact: Thousands of people were evacuated from vulnerable areas to safer locations. Relief operations were initiated to provide food, water, and medical aid to affected communities.
What are Cyclones?
  • Cyclones are a type of tropical weather system characterized by strong winds and heavy rainfall.
  • They are also known as hurricanes or typhoons, depending on the region where they occur.
  • Cyclones form over warm ocean waters and can cause significant damage to coastal areas.
  • They are classified based on their wind speed, with Category 5 cyclones being the most severe.
  • Cyclones can also cause storm surges, which are large waves that can inundate low-lying areas and cause flooding.

Formation of Cyclones

  • They are fueled by the heat and moisture from the ocean, which causes the air to rise and form clouds.
  • As the air continues to rise, it creates an area of low pressure at the surface.
  • This low-pressure area draws in more warm, moist air from the surrounding area, which fuels the cyclone and causes it to spin.
  • The rotation of the Earth causes the cyclone to spin
    • Counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere
    • Clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
  • Cyclones can cause significant damage to coastal areas due to their strong winds and heavy rainfall.

How is a cyclone named?

  • Who/Authority: World Meteorological Organisation, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (WMO/ESCAP) Panel on Tropical Cyclones (PTC).
  • Why name Cyclone?
    • Avoid confusion if two or more cyclones are occurring simultaneously over the region.
    • Naming helps in future reference.
  • Who are the member countries? : India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Maldives, Oman, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
  • Naming from the list
    • With 8 countries in 2004, there was a list of 64 names eight names from each country.
    • In later years the member countries increased to 13 combined releasing 169 names of cyclones with 13 names from each country.
  • Conditions for naming :
    • Names of the cyclones should be short, simple and easily understood.
    • Culturally sensitive or convey any inflammatory meaning.
  • India has, so far, proposed the names Gati (speed), Tej (speed), Marasu (musical instrument in Tamil), Aag (fire), Jhar (storm), Ghurni (whirlpool), Vega (speed) and Neer (water).

What is the difference between Cyclone, Hurricane, and Typhoon?

  • Depending on its location and strength, a tropical cyclone is referred to by names such as hurricane, tropical storm, cyclonic storm, tropical depression, and simply cyclone.
  • A hurricane is a storm that occurs in the Atlantic Ocean and northeastern Pacific Ocean.
  • Typhoon occurs in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
  • Cyclone occurs in the South Pacific or Indian Ocean.
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