E-Paper
‘Storm surge triggered by cyclone Yaas during full moon would inflict maximum damage’: IMD
Storm surge in the sea and rivers triggered by very severe cyclone ‘Yaas’, which coincides with the perigean spring tide of Wednesday’s full moon, would inflict the maximum damage this time, India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials have warned
Storm surge in the sea and rivers triggered by very severe cyclone ‘Yaas’, which coincides with the perigean spring tide of Wednesday’s full moon, would inflict the maximum damage this time, India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials have warned.
“The maximum damage would be caused by the storm surge this time. On May 26, when the cyclone hits, there is also the spring tide. The damage would be the maximum in the coastal districts of East Midnapore and South 24 Parganas,” said Sanjib Banerjee, deputy director general of IMD’s regional office in Kolkata
Experts said that the water level in the sea rises at least a metre high during a spring tide, which occurs during a full moon, over a normal high tide that comes every day. The water level is highest during the perigean spring tide when the moon is closest to the earth.
“The storm surge triggered by the cyclone at East Midnapore district would be 2m–4m, while in South 24 Parganas it would be 1m–2m. This is over and above the astronomical tide (spring tide),” said Banerjee.
Storm surge is the abnormal rise in seawater level during a cyclone. The sea and river level rises and floods the low-lying areas along the banks and coastline.
For storm surge, the IMD has issued a red warning, the highest level of warning that calls for taking action, for East Midnapore district. For South 24 Parganas district an orange warning ( officials to remain prepared) has been issued
Yaas has already intensified into a severe cyclone and is expected to gather more steam and become a very severe cyclone by Tuesday late night before hitting the Odisha–West Bengal coast somewhere around Balasore on Wednesday noon.
“The water level is already high because of the spring tide and that’s more worrying. Sea and river water have gushed into some places along the coast and in the Sunderban delta. Around nine lakh people have already been evacuated,” said Mamata Banerjee, chief minister of West Bengal.
The chief minister said that she, along with top bureaucrats and some cabinet ministers, would stay the night in the control room set up at the secretariat to monitor the storm and the related disaster management work.
The IMD has issued a red warning for heavy to very heavy rain for two districts – East Midnapore and West Midnapore and an orange warning (be prepared) for another 13 districts on May 26.
Around three lakh government employees, from senior bureaucrats to home guards and civic volunteers, have been deployed for disaster management work and carry out relief work after the cyclone. The Army has been kept on standby.
