The extremely severe cyclonic Fani has hit the Odisha coast in Puri today morning (3rd May 2019) with a wind speed of around 175 kmph.
The National Disaster Response Force, Navy and the Coast Guard have been put on high alert in the state and adjoining areas. The Metrological department has issued a "yellow warning" for Odisha, foreseeing heavy to very heavy rain in many areas. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are also put on high alert.
About cyclone Fani
The Cyclone 'Fani' also pronounced as 'Foni' got its name from Bangladesh. It actually means 'Snake' or 'hood of snake'.
India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Oman, Pakistan and Thailand had send names of tropical cyclones that develop in the North Indian Ocean to the regional committee. Currently, each country has recommended 8 names for cyclones taking place in future. The name ‘Fani’ was decided from a list consisting of 64 names.
About Storms
As per the IMD, in the last 126 years i.e. 1891 to 2017, only 14 severe tropical cyclones have formed over the Bay of Bengal in April. And out of those, only 1 storm could manage to cross the Indian mainland. But now Cyclone Fani will become the 2nd storm to form in the month of April and cross the mainland.
To recall, the last severe cyclone 'Nargis' devastated Myanmar in 2008.
Fani is not the first cyclones to hit Odisha. The state was hit by a super or we can say worst cyclone ever in 1999 that killed more than fifteen thousand people, with most of the fatality being reported from Odisha.
Cyclone Fani is the 4th storm to hit India’s east coast in the last three decades. Odisha, one of the most vulnerable states to cyclones, is usually hit by such a storm in post-monsoon phase of October to November and now pre-monsoon cyclones are also not unusual.
Just few months before in October 2018, cyclone Titli had thrashed Odisha. In an unusual twist, the cyclone had changed its way and moved towards the northeast after making the landfall.
879 multi-use cyclone shelters are ready in Odisha. The shelters can accommodate almost 1 million people during floods and cyclones. Schools and colleges have been closed in advance of the approaching storm.
Category 3 or 4 hurricane/ cyclones
When it comes to hurricane, meteorologists count on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale to calculate the magnitude of the hurricane’s impact. Cyclone Fani could be ‘category 3 / 4 hurricane’.
The emergency helpline number for Cyclone Fani issued by Odisha is +916742534177
The helpline numbers in case of emergencies in all affected regions are 1070 and 1077. The victim can call on 0674-2303060/0674-2301525/0674-2301625.
Railways helpline numbers are as follows:
Bhubaneswar- (0674-2303060, 2301525, 2301625)
Sambalpur (0663- 2532230, 2533037, 2532302)
Khurda Road (0674-2490010, 2492511, 2492611)
Puri- 06752-225922
Visakhapatnam – (0891- 2746255, 1072)
Bhadrak- 06784-230827
Cuttack- 0671-2201865
