Cyclone Fengal, which hit Sri Lanka and southern India violently, killed 20 people, according to the latest toll released on Monday, mainly due to the heavy rains that accompanied its passage.
Fengal made landfall in south-eastern India’s Tamil Nadu state on Saturday, bringing the heaviest 24-hour rainfall in 30 years to Pondicherry, before turning into a low pressure area on Monday morning , transmits
In Sri Lanka, the cyclone left 17 dead and landslides.
About another 470,000 people took refuge in temporary shelters, according to the disaster management agency.
In India, three people were electrocuted during the typhoon’s passage, Tamil Nadu state disaster management minister KKSSR Ramachandran told reporters on Saturday evening.
The official did not provide more details about the causes of these deaths, but mentioned that the damage caused by the cyclone was “minimal”.
India’s disaster management agency is trying to rescue a family of seven in the state who were reportedly buried in a landslide, local media reported Monday.
Roads were flooded and schools were closed in parts of southern India, and the risk of flooding remained, weather services warned on Monday.
The city of Pondicherry, located on India’s southern coast, recorded its heaviest 24-hour rainfall in 30 years after Fengal made landfall nearby, the Indian Meteorological Department said.
According to scientists, storms are getting stronger as the world warms due to climate change.
Warmer ocean surfaces release more water vapor, which provides storms with additional energy, intensifying the winds.
A warmer atmosphere also allows them to hold more water, which favors heavy rains.
However, more accurate forecasts and more effective evacuation plans have considerably reduced the number of casualties.
