Finally, the much-awaited Cyclone Fani has made a landfall at Puri around 8 am to 9 am on May 3, 2019 with a wind speed of 160-170 kmph gusting to 185-200 kmph. At the time of landfall, it was an Extremely Severe Cyclone. Widespread damage has been reported from Puri. Many trees were were uprooted and communication and electricity poles were snapped. Normal life and travel in and around Odisha have come to halt. As per the reports, some casualties have been also reported in Sakhigopal area of Puri due to the uprooting of trees. Much damage to the property has been already witnessed.
Due to the land interaction, now the intensity of Cyclone Fani would eventually keep weakening because the moisture feed from the sea has now reduced drastically. This system is expected to keep moving in northeast direction along the coastal districts of Odisha. Now, it has weakened into a Very Severe Cyclone storm. By evening, it would reach Gangetic West Bengal as a Severe Cyclone Storm, with wind speed of around 80-90 kmph, gusting to 100 kmph.
It has already started raining heavily in South Bengal. Places like Digha, Diamond Harbour and Kolkata are already under the influence of storm Fani. The wind speed at present is 25 kmph.
Places like Bankura, Purulia, Jhargaon, Midnapore, Hugli, Howrah, Kolkata and 24 Parganas will be the majorly affected districts in West Bengal in wake of Cyclone Fani. Its impact will also be felt over the eastern districts of Bihar and Jharkhand, but we do not expect much damage to life and property in these areas. The experts have to say that by this time it would lose its intensity significantly. However, heavy rains cannot be ruled on the night of May 3 and May 4.
By May 4, Fani would be over Sub Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim and over the western parts of Assam. On May 5, the western parts of Assam and Meghalaya would get to see heavy rains. Similarly, rest of the northeastern states would get to see light to moderate rains with few heavy spells. Experts have to say that the weather will be clear over all the affected areas by May 6.
Image Credit: Hindustan Times
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