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| Tropical Cyclone Fani: biggest storm in decades makes landfall in India | Tropical Cyclone Fani: biggest storm in decades makes landfall in India |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Tropical cyclone Fani, the most severe storm to hit the Indian subcontinent in two decades, has made landfall on the coast of the eastern state of Odisha, where officials are still trying to evacuate the homes of the most vulnerable one-million people in its path. | Tropical cyclone Fani, the most severe storm to hit the Indian subcontinent in two decades, has made landfall on the coast of the eastern state of Odisha, where officials are still trying to evacuate the homes of the most vulnerable one-million people in its path. |
| The “extremely severe” storm bearing winds of up to 185km/h barrelled into the small city of Puri, home to about 200,000 people, at around 8am on Friday, according to Indian meteorological officials. | The “extremely severe” storm bearing winds of up to 185km/h barrelled into the small city of Puri, home to about 200,000 people, at around 8am on Friday, according to Indian meteorological officials. |
| It lost speed as it approached the coast and was expected to slow further as it migrates north through West Bengal state and into Bangladesh by Sunday but could still be disastrous for the densely-populated, low-lying communities who live along the Bay of Bengal, one of the most vulnerable regions to flooding in the world. A powerful storm in Odisha, one of India’s most poorest states, flooded hundreds of villages and killed more 10,000 people in 1999. | It lost speed as it approached the coast and was expected to slow further as it migrates north through West Bengal state and into Bangladesh by Sunday but could still be disastrous for the densely-populated, low-lying communities who live along the Bay of Bengal, one of the most vulnerable regions to flooding in the world. A powerful storm in Odisha, one of India’s most poorest states, flooded hundreds of villages and killed more 10,000 people in 1999. |
| Cyclone Fani: India evacuates 800,000 from coastal areas | Cyclone Fani: India evacuates 800,000 from coastal areas |
| There was heavy rain and strong winds along India’s eastern coast overnight on Thursday as local authorities worked to move at least 1.1 million people including more than 1,000 pregnant women. Video posted by government communication channels from Bhubaneswar, the Odisha capital, on Friday morning showed saturated palm trees flailing in deafening winds. | There was heavy rain and strong winds along India’s eastern coast overnight on Thursday as local authorities worked to move at least 1.1 million people including more than 1,000 pregnant women. Video posted by government communication channels from Bhubaneswar, the Odisha capital, on Friday morning showed saturated palm trees flailing in deafening winds. |
| The Kolkata office of India’s meteorological department warned the storm could lead to “total destruction of thatched houses”, flooding of escape routes and large pieces of debris being flung in the air. | |
| The sound and the fury : here's what the landfall at Puri by #CycloneFani actually looked like..Video by @PIBBhubaneswar pic.twitter.com/4GpvKFkRQ3 | The sound and the fury : here's what the landfall at Puri by #CycloneFani actually looked like..Video by @PIBBhubaneswar pic.twitter.com/4GpvKFkRQ3 |
| All flights out of Bhubaneswar were cancelled on Friday and Kolkata airport will be shut from 9.30pm on Friday evening until 6pm on Saturday. Tourists were evacuated on three special trains on Thursday but nearly 150 other railway services have been suspended. | All flights out of Bhubaneswar were cancelled on Friday and Kolkata airport will be shut from 9.30pm on Friday evening until 6pm on Saturday. Tourists were evacuated on three special trains on Thursday but nearly 150 other railway services have been suspended. |
| Hundreds of disaster management personnel have been deployed across the state, which has closed its schools and colleges and suspended the leave of doctors and health officials for the next fortnight. The Indian army, navy and air force are also on alert to assist with rescues. | Hundreds of disaster management personnel have been deployed across the state, which has closed its schools and colleges and suspended the leave of doctors and health officials for the next fortnight. The Indian army, navy and air force are also on alert to assist with rescues. |
| Nearly 5,000 shelters have been set up in Odisha for the evacuees. Police in the state posted pictures on social media showing officers folding their hands in a mark of respect to persuade reluctant people to cooperate and move to safer ground. | Nearly 5,000 shelters have been set up in Odisha for the evacuees. Police in the state posted pictures on social media showing officers folding their hands in a mark of respect to persuade reluctant people to cooperate and move to safer ground. |
| The cyclone’s name, Fani, is Bengali for the hood of a snake. The word cyclone itself is said to be derived from the Greek word meaning “coiling of a snake”, and was coined by British administrator Henry Piddington while he was station in Kolkata, then Calcutta, during colonial rule. | The cyclone’s name, Fani, is Bengali for the hood of a snake. The word cyclone itself is said to be derived from the Greek word meaning “coiling of a snake”, and was coined by British administrator Henry Piddington while he was station in Kolkata, then Calcutta, during colonial rule. |
| Fifteen of the 20 deadliest-ever storms have formed in the Bay of Bengal, where the combination of poor quality housing, dense populations and flash flooding frequently lead to high casualties. The Great Bhola Cyclone that hit Bangladesh in 1970 killed more a half-million people. | Fifteen of the 20 deadliest-ever storms have formed in the Bay of Bengal, where the combination of poor quality housing, dense populations and flash flooding frequently lead to high casualties. The Great Bhola Cyclone that hit Bangladesh in 1970 killed more a half-million people. |
| But the Indian and Bangladesh governments have vastly improved their responses to such disasters, now routinely evacuating communities, predicting calamitous weather in advance, communicating the danger to residents and establishing effective shelters. More a million people were evacuated from Odisha during a 2013 storm in a move that is thought to have saved thousands of lives. | But the Indian and Bangladesh governments have vastly improved their responses to such disasters, now routinely evacuating communities, predicting calamitous weather in advance, communicating the danger to residents and establishing effective shelters. More a million people were evacuated from Odisha during a 2013 storm in a move that is thought to have saved thousands of lives. |
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