Speaking: Cyclone landfall

Cyclone landfall

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The number of cyclone landfalls was also the most in South 24 Paraganas 13 from 1961-2020 followed by Nellore and Nagapattinam (10 each).

The region in south Bengal was ravaged by nine severe cyclones during the period, the highest in the country. Srikakulam and Ganjam districts followed with six and five intense cyclonic storms respectively.

"What stands out is that around 70 per cent of the cyclones were of severe categories in the Sundarbans area," noted an IMD expert.

A 2021 study Spatiotemporal analysis of tropical cyclone landfalls in northern Bay of Bengal, India and Bangladesh by the World Bank also underlined the increasing threat of cyclones in the Sundarbans area.

"A composite map of the northern Bay of Bengal coastline shows that, between 1877 and 2016, the highest strike intensities were concentrated in West Bengal and northern Odisha," stated the report. "The median landfall location shifted east-ward from northern Odisha toward the West Bengal / Bangladesh border area (Sundarban)," it added.

During 1877-2016, the total cyclonic strikes in the Sundarban region varied between categories either 27 to 31 or 32 to 37 - the highest categories.

Purba Medinipur, Baleswar topped vulnerability index

Purba Medinipur in West Bengal had the highest cyclone vulnerability in the country. for cyclones of all intensities. Baleshwar in Orissa topped the list in terms of vulnerability to severe cyclonic storms.

South 24 Parganas was the second-most vulnerable to all cyclones and ranked third in terms of severe cyclonic storms.

"The web atlas is depicted using Geographic Information System (GIS) tools and provides districts maps on hazard events and vulnerability; and are prepared based on the climatological data, census data on population and housing density," said a senior IMD expert associated with the study.

Around four per cent of the districts and seven per cent of the population in India are highly vulnerable for cyclones, the report stated. Most of the coastal districts of the east coast are highly vulnerable for cyclones, it added.

Around 25 districts in the east coast 10 in Tamil Nadu, seven in Andhra Pradesh, six in Odisha and two in West Bengal - — are vulnerable to cyclonic storms, according to the paper.

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