Officials in India have mobilised a mass evacuation effort yesterday as the country braced for the landfall of the potentially devastating Cyclone Fani. The tropical cyclone is the most severe storm to hit the Indian subcontinent in two decades. The barrelling storm has made landfall on the coast of the eastern state of Odisha, where officials are now attempting to evacuate the homes of more than one million people in its path.
Shocking imagery has shown the colossal strength of the storm as it began bearing down on Eastern India this morning.
Cyclone Fani crossed the Odisha Coast, close to the small city of Puri, between 8am and 10am local time today, making it an official landfall according to the India Meteorological Department.
At landfall, the cyclone was classified as an extremely severe cyclonic storm with winds reaching a staggering 118 mph with gusts up to 124 mph, which equates to a Category 3 hurricane in the Atlantic or East Pacific oceans.
Fani is the strongest reported cyclone this early in the year in the North Indian Ocean since 2008, according to Philip Klozbach from Colorado State University.
The NOAA 20 satellite captured imagery of an enormous and powerful Cyclone Fani churning over the Bay of Bengal on April 30, as it barrelled toward India’s east coast.
Trees have been downed and buildings have been destroyed, according to local reports as Cyclone Fani swept in this morning.
The destructive cyclone has led to the largest evacuation effort in the nation’s history, with a massive 100,000 evacuated from the small city of Puri alone, roughly half the city’s population according to the Indian Census data from 2011.
Officials are especially concerned about an 858-year-old Jagannath temple in the city which could be dealt a catastrophic blow.
More than 850 shelters have been opened to help the evacuated masses and schools and universities have been closed in advance of the storm’s arrival.
India’s Prime Minister Chowkidar Narendra Modi held a meeting to ensure the government was prepared to handle the storm.
He tweeted: “Chaired a high level meeting to review the preparedness relating to Cyclone Fani.
“The Central Government is ready to provide all possible assistance that would be required.
“Prayers for the safety and well-being of our citizens.”
Cyclone Fani is expected to bring heavy, flooding rain and damaging winds to Eastern India and Bangladesh through the weekend.
Ports, airports and trains were suspended and cancelled by authorities beginning on Wednesday night in a bid to protect lives.
Although, the terrifying storm lost some wind intensity prior to landfall, it is expected to remain a dangerous cyclone as it continues inland making a devastating path across Eastern India and Bangladesh through Saturday.
Areas along the coast and the border of Bangladesh will face dangerous seas and varying levels of coastal flooding today – with widespread structural damage anticipated into the night.
These areas are also at high risk for isolated tornadoes resulting in flying debris which could inflict further damage as well as harm to anyone caught outdoors.
As the tropical cyclone tracks its way inland, it will weaken and the risk of damaging winds will be lowered across Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal – but there a risk of devastation is still possible in these areas.
During this time, life-threatening flooding is still possible along with an elevated risk for mudslides across the rugged terrain of the region.
Rainfall amounts of up to 12 inches will be possible from far northeast Andhra Pradesh and Odisha into parts of West Bengal, northern Bangladesh and northeast India through Sunday.