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Cyclone “NISARG”
After the Super cyclone “Amphan” in the eastern region, India is facing another cyclone named “NISARG” affecting the west coast of the nation. The cyclone made landfall on 3rd June near Maharashtra’s Raigad district at around 12.30 pm. The severe cyclonic storm is travelling at a speed of 20 Kmph with wind speeds fluctuating between 90-100 Kmph, gusting to 110 Kmph. The last severe cyclonic storm that hit close to Mumbai was in 1961. This cyclone was expected to be more intense looking at the current scenario.
What is Landfall of Cyclone?
Landfall of a cyclone can be defined as the period when the centre of the storm crosses the coast and proceeds further into the land. The maximum damage of a cyclone happens when the ‘eye’ of the storm touches the land. Landfall does not actually mean a ‘direct hit’ of the storm to any location on the coast. The direct hit is where the eye of the storm, that is, the centre of the storm comes onto the shore. During the landfall period, that can take 2 to 3 hours to complete, storm wave is commonly experienced. It leads to trigger flood-like situation.
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Preparedness by the Government
The Maharashtra administration evacuated over 100,000 people from the coastline since Tuesday in view of the Nisarga Landfall. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) deployed 20 teams across Maharashtra that took sessions on how to protect lives and what to do during a cyclone. The sessions were conducted at the relief centres where villagers living near the coast have been brought in.
Impact of the Nisarga Landfall
In the case of the current cyclone, the impact of the Nisarga landfall will be in the form of extremely heavy rainfall in excess of 200 – 250 mm in some areas of coastal Maharashtra. Other states such as Goa, coastal Karnataka and adjoining districts are likely to witness heavy rainfall of 100 mm or more.
However, the Cyclone Nisarga is not as powerful as the previous one, Super Cyclone Amphan, which reached a huge intensity of 240 Kmph. Storm surge remains a significant risk with a wavelength of more than one metre above normal over coastal part of Maharashtra.
