Monster Cyclone Phailin Poses Deadly Threat to India
One of the strongest tropical cyclones to form in the Bay of Bengal since 1980 is heading for the northeast Indian state of Odisha, packing winds of close to 160 mph and a storm surge of at least 10 feet, but possibly much higher. The storm, named Phailin — a Thai word for “sapphire” — has intensified after weakening for a time on Thursday. By some measures, it may already have become the strongest storm on record in the Indian Ocean. It is expected to make landfall in Odisha or the far northeastern corner of the Andrha Pradesh State on Saturday afternoon or early evening.
Sea level rise due to climate change will only increase the risk of low-lying areas in Bangladesh and India to cyclone-related storm surge events. As weather.com reported, one small island that was involved in a dispute between India and Bangladesh disappeared entirely in 2010 due to rising water.
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