Three killed as Cyclone Fengal pummels India's south

Bengaluru – A low-level cyclone that smashed into India’s southern coastline killed at least three people but otherwise did not cause widespread damage, officials said.

Cyclone Fengal made landfall late on Nov 30 with sustained winds of 70kmh to 80kmh.

Three people were electrocuted as a result of the storm in Chennai, Tamil Nadu state disaster management minister K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran told reporters late on Nov 30.

But damage from the cyclone was otherwise “minimal”, he added.

The Times of India newspaper said that there was “flooding” and trees falling but “not to the extent feared”.

Cyclones – the equivalent of hurricanes in the North Atlantic or typhoons in the northwestern Pacific – are a regular and deadly menace in the northern Indian Ocean.

While the storm is expected to gradually weaken into a depression later on Dec 1, India’s weather bureau warned of heavy rains across parts of India’s south.

It advised a total suspension of fishing operations and also said there was a “moderate to high flash flood risk” in some areas.

Fengal skirted the coast of Sri Lanka earlier this week, killing at least 16 people including children.

Heavy rains affected a total of 138,944 families, the latest data from the Disaster Management Centre in Colombo showed.

Scientists have warned that storms are becoming more powerful as the world heats up due to climate change driven by burning fossil fuels.

Warmer ocean surfaces release more water vapour, which provides additional energy for storms, strengthening winds.

A warming atmosphere also allows them to hold more water, boosting rainfall.

But better forecasting and more effective evacuation planning have dramatically reduced death tolls. AFP