Cyclone Fani (2019)
Topic: Air Masses, Fronts, Cyclones and Thunderstorms · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 3 "Climates of India"
Meaning
Cyclone Fani was an extremely severe cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal. It made landfall near Puri, Odisha, on 3 May 2019, so it was a pre-monsoon cyclone. IMD gave accurate warnings well in time, and over a million people were moved to safety. Because of this, deaths stayed low for such a strong storm. The United Nations praised India's response, and Fani is now seen as a model of cyclone preparedness.
Example
At Puri, on the Odisha coast, Fani's winds damaged houses, power lines and trees widely. But the early evacuation of coastal villages saved many lives.
Don't confuse with
- Odisha super cyclone (1999): struck the same state 20 years earlier and killed about 10,000 people. The difference in deaths shows how much forecasting and evacuation improved.