CYCLONE LANDFALL
CONTEXT:
- The landfall process of Cyclone Biparjoy started near Jakhau port in Kutch district, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
WHAT IS LANDFALL OF A CYCLONE ?
- Landfall is the event of a tropical cyclone coming onto land after being over water.
- Landfall refers to the centre of a storm – or its eye – moving over land from the sea.
- As per the IMD, a tropical cyclone is said to have made a landfall when the center of the storm – or its eye – moves over the coast.
- As per the US’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), because the strongest winds in a tropical cyclone are not located precisely at the centre, it is possible for a cyclone’s strongest winds to be experienced over land even if landfall does not occur.
DURATION OF LANDFALL :
- Landfalls can last for a few hours, with their exact duration depending on the speed of the winds and the size of the storm system.
- Cyclone Biparjoy’s land process is expected to last around five to six hours, with the cyclone almost completely dissipating over approximately the next 24 hours.
- Cyclones lose their intensity once they move over land because of sharp reduction of moisture supply and increase in surface friction.
- This means that while landfalls are often the most devastating moments of cyclones, they also mark the beginning of its end.
DAMAGE INTENSITY DUE TO LANDFALL :
- For Cyclone Biparjoy, classified by the IMD as a “very severe cyclonic storm”, the impact may include extensive damage to kutcha houses, partial disruption of power and communication lines, minor disruption of rail and road traffic, potential threat from flying debris and flooding of escape routes.
- The factors behind this kind of damage include extremely strong winds, heavy rainfall and the storm surge which cause devastating floods in the coast.
SYLLABUS: PRELIMS+ MAINS: GS-3- SCIENCE AND TECHONOLGY
