{"id":43793,"date":"2024-12-01T05:58:12","date_gmt":"2024-12-01T00:28:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=43793"},"modified":"2025-05-06T05:45:06","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T00:15:06","slug":"cyclone-fengal-hits-tamil-nadu-and-puducherry-key-impacts-and-preparedness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/cyclone-fengal-hits-tamil-nadu-and-puducherry-key-impacts-and-preparedness\/","title":{"rendered":"Cyclone Fengal Hits Tamil Nadu and Puducherry: Key Impacts and Preparedness"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>What\u2019s in today\u2019s article?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Why in News?<\/li>\n<li>What is a Cyclone?<\/li>\n<li>What does landfall of a cyclone mean?<\/li>\n<li>Bay of Bengal: a cyclone hotspot<\/li>\n<li>Cyclone management \u2013 Steps taken by India<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Why in News?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Cyclone Fengal made landfall near Puducherry on Novemver 30, bringing heavy rainfall and gusty winds to Tamil Nadu&#8217;s coastal belt, including Chennai and Puducherry. This is the second cyclone to impact India\u2019s east coast in two months after Cyclone Dana.<\/li>\n<li>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.<\/li>\n<li>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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>What is a Cyclone?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>About<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>A cyclone is a large-scale system of air that rotates around the centre of a low-pressure area. It is usually accompanied by violent storms and bad weather.<\/li>\n<li>A cyclone is characterised by inward spiralling winds that rotate anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Characteristics of a Tropical Cyclone:<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>The <strong>centre of a cyclone is very calm and clear with very low air pressure<\/strong>. The average speed is <strong>120 kmph<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>They have closed <strong>isobars<\/strong> which leads to greater velocity.\n<ul>\n<li>Isobars are imaginary lines on a weather map that connect locations with equal atmospheric pressure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>They develop over oceans and sea only.<\/li>\n<li>They move from east to west under the influence of trade winds.<\/li>\n<li>They are seasonal in nature.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Classification of cyclones<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Cyclones are classified <strong>on the basis of wind speed<\/strong> by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD):\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Depression: <\/strong>Wind speeds of between 31\u201349 km\/h<\/li>\n<li><strong>Deep Depression: <\/strong>Between 50-61 km\/h<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cyclonic Storm: <\/strong>Between 62\u201388 km\/h<\/li>\n<li><strong>Severe Cyclonic Storm: <\/strong>Between 89-117 Km\/h<\/li>\n<li><strong>Very Severe Cyclonic Storm: <\/strong>Between 118-166 Km\/h<\/li>\n<li><strong>Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm<\/strong>: Between 166-221 Km\/h<\/li>\n<li><strong>Super Cyclonic Storm<\/strong>: Above 222 Km\/h<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>What does landfall of a cyclone mean?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone coming onto land after being over water.<\/li>\n<li>As per the IMD, a tropical cyclone is said to have made a landfall when the center of the storm \u2013 or its <i><strong>eye <\/strong><\/i>\u2013 moves over the coast.\n<ul>\n<li>The &#8220;eye&#8221; of a cyclone is a region of relatively calm weather found at the center of the storm.<\/li>\n<li>It is a circular or oval-shaped area characterized by light winds, clear or partly cloudy skies, and decreased precipitation.<\/li>\n<li>Within the eye, winds are light and variable, often with clear or only partially cloudy skies.<\/li>\n<li>The size of the eye can vary significantly, ranging from a few kilometers to over 50 kilometers (30 miles) in diameter in larger cyclones.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>During landfall, the outer bands of the storm may have already reached the coast, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, and storm surge.<\/li>\n<li>Landfall marks the moment when the cyclone officially reaches the land.\n<ul>\n<li>A landfall should not be confused with a \u2018direct hit\u2019, which refers to a situation where the core of high winds (or eyewall) comes onshore but the centre of the storm may stay remain offshore.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Bay of Bengal: a cyclone hotspot<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/Bay_of_Bengal_A_Cyclonic_Hotspot_402a1bd7b6.webp\" alt=\"Bay of Bengal - A Cyclonic Hotspot\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Image Caption: Bay of Bengal &#8211; A Cyclonic Hotspot<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Historical data underscore Bay of Bengal\u2019s predisposition to cyclones, with approximately 58% of them making landfall on India\u2019s eastern coast, compared to just 25% in the Arabian Sea.<\/li>\n<li>The Arabian Sea gets fewer cyclones due to its narrower and deeper nature, cooler water and higher salinity. Its partially landlocked geography also contributes to reduced cyclonic activity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Cyclone management \u2013 Steps taken by India<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP)<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li>Launched by the MHA, this project aims to reduce the vulnerability of coastal communities and infrastructure to cyclones and storm surges.<\/li>\n<li>It focuses on capacity building, early warning systems, cyclone shelters, evacuation planning, and community awareness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>IMD\u2019s Colour Coding of Cyclones<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Four colours &#8211; Green, Yellow, Orange, and Red \u2013 are used by IMD to make people aware about the severity of cyclones.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Project<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZ)<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Other general steps taken<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li>National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)<\/li>\n<li>National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP)<\/li>\n<li>National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM)<\/li>\n<li>State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong>Q.1. What is Cyclone Fengal and where did it make landfall?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Cyclone Fengal, a tropical storm, made landfall between Mahabalipuram and Karaikal near Puducherry. It brought heavy rainfall, wind speeds of 70-80 km\/hr, and disrupted transportation across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Q.2. How is India managing cyclone-related disasters?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>India\u2019s National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) focuses on early warning systems, evacuation plans, and cyclone shelters. The IMD&#8217;s color-coded warnings help assess severity, while national agencies like the NDRF ensure efficient disaster response.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/india\/cyclone-fengal-puducherry-slow-moving-landfall-9699314\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><u>Heavy rains lash Puducherry, coastal TN as Cyclone Fengal makes landfall<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/nidm.gov.in\/PDF\/pubs\/NDMA\/4.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><u>National Disaster Management Guidelines<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ndma.gov.in\/Natural-Hazards\/Cyclone\/Dos-Donts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><u>NDMA<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/city\/chennai\/chennai-rains-live-updates-cyclone-fengal-tamil-nadu-weather-school-close-imd-heavy-rainfall\/liveblog\/115788048.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><u>Times of India<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cyclone Fengal made landfall near Puducherry, bringing heavy rains and winds to Tamil Nadu. Learn about its impact, classification, and India&#8217;s cyclone management strategies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":43794,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-43793","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43793","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43793"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43793\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43794"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43793"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43793"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43793"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}