Thiruvananthapuram: A low-pressure area over the Indian Ocean and adjoining Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a depression and later into Cyclone Fani before reaching the north Tamil Nadu coast on April 30, the India Metrological Department (IMD) said on Thursday.
Though Fani will be hitting coastal Tamil Nadu, heavy winds from Friday and rain from April 29 to May 1 can be expected in Kerala, the Met department said. A yellow alert has been issued to the districts of Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur and Malappuram. Restrictions have also been imposed for the time being on fishing in the area.
The authorities have also issued a set of guidelines for people in the state in the wake of the cyclone alert issued in Kerala. The southern districts of the state, including Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam, will bear the brunt if the cyclone makes landfall.
Here are a few things to do in the event of a cyclone:
• Keep mobile phones, lamps charged
• Stay in the strongest part of the house, do not be in temporary constructions, sheds, and inside vehicles
• Do not be near trees, poles, under electric lines
• Stay away from open spaces, you may be swept away
• Listen to radio alerts
• Do not venture out after one bout of wind as the tail of the cyclone may only be coming from behind
• Keep emergency medicines handy
• Switch off the power, gas cylinders
• Do not go near ponds, rivers, reservoirs, towers, lighthouses
The surprising ecological benefits of a cyclone
Tropical storms are known as the most catastrophic and destructive natural events. The loss of life and property, flora and fauna, and the landscapes have focused the attention of scientists and revenue enumerators on the loss aspect alone.
However, studies by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) indicate that cyclonic storms have ecological benefits too.
Bruce Richmond of the USGS says, "tropical storms are as much as a depositional event as an erosional event... little is known about their beneficial effects to coastal accretion."
The USGS website points to considerable evidence to demonstrate the powerful sediment-carrying capacity of storm overwash. (Overwash is the flow of water and sediment over a coastal dune or beach crest during storm events).
Atoll islands: Scientists say the formation of atoll islands is another feature of cyclones. Such islands are formed by cyclonic action and house a variety of fauna. Often, a chain of atoll islands is found formed due to cyclonic activity.
