Tropical Cyclone "Fengal," which formed on November 29 in the southwestern part of the Bay of Bengal, delivered a severe blow to southern India. It made landfall in the Pondicherry region on Saturday evening, with wind speeds of about forty-three to fifty miles per hour and gusts reaching up to fifty-six miles per hour.
Remarkably, the cyclone remained nearly stationary over the coastal areas of Pondicherry and the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu for twelve hours, unleashing an enormous amount of rainfall. Even as it weakened to a tropical depression on Sunday, "Fengal" continued to cause heavy downpours that paralyzed normal life.
Pondicherry received eighteen inches of rain, surpassing the previous record of eight inches set on October 31, 2004.
Numerous residential neighborhoods were flooded, leaving residents trapped in their homes for hours.
The Indian Army deployed soldiers and boats to evacuate stranded people.
Heavy rains inundated major highways and arterial roads, while the brunt of the cyclone’s impact was borne by agricultural lands.
Local residents reported that they had not witnessed such a natural disaster in Pondicherry in at least three decades.
The neighboring state of Tamil Nadu also faced significant devastation due to the cyclone. Thousands of people were evacuated to temporary shelters. For instance, in the district of Villupuram, where nearly nineteen inches of rain fell in one day, more than 1,000 residents had to leave flooded areas.
A landslide in the city of Tiruvannamalai trapped seven people under debris, prompting intense rescue efforts by teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
Relentless rain in Chennai and nearby areas disrupted public transportation, affecting buses and trains.
The airport was closed due to waterlogged runways, and more than fifty-five flights were canceled, causing major inconvenience for thousands of passengers.
In Chennai, three people lost their lives after being electrocuted due to waterlogged conditions.
"Fengal" marks the second powerful cyclone to form in the Bay of Bengal and strike India’s eastern coast in less than two months.
Scientists attribute the intensifying strength of tropical cyclones to abnormal ocean warming. In 2023, global ocean temperatures reached record highs, and 2024 is continuing this trend. An overheated ocean evaporates significantly more moisture, which then descends on land as massive rainfall.
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