Cyclone Fani, the outlierThe eastern coast of India is no stranger to cyclones. AdvertisingAlso read | Puri’s Jagannath temple replaces flag to sound alert: Fani on way, brace for impactClick image to enlargeFani is not just a severe cyclone but an “extremely severe cyclone”. At the lower end are depressions that generate wind speeds of 30 to 60 km per hour, followed by cyclonic storms (61 to 88 kph), severe cyclonic storms (89 to 117 kph) and very severe cyclonic storms (118 to 166 kph). How Cyclone Fani grew muscleThe in situ cyclonic systems in the Bay of Bengal usually originate around latitude 10°, in line with Chennai or Thiruvananthapuram. Advertising“If it had remained on its original course, and made a landfall over the Tamil Nadu coastline, Fani would only have been a normal cyclone, not the extremely severe cyclone it has now become.

Source: Indian Express May 01, 2019 19:21 UTC