Well, that was a shock just now. Tropical cyclone Sidr, whose mugshot I showed in previous entry, is now a category 3 hurricane instead of the tropical storm that it was supposed to be at 9 o'clock this morning. JTWC, the forecasting agency for the region, probably gulped as well, when they found that this cyclone carried winds of 105 knots (that's a trifling 125 mph), gusting to 130 knots (150 mph). It is still intensifying, and will probably turn out to be one of the strongest cyclones seen in recent years.
If the storm continues on its present north northwesterly course, it will see land near Calcutta, at present still 760 miles away. Winds may be as high as 160 mph, gusting to 190 mph, and a storm surge of (wait for it) 34 feet or more. Don't forget that just round the coast lies the flat and low lying river delta country of Bangladesh. I don't want to think of what will be the consequences of this severe cyclone making landfall in that vicinity.
I am positively horrified at the Indian Met Department, who blissfully continue to call this a severe tropical storm with winds of 60 mph, and a projected trajectory northwest, rather than north.
JTWC had a slip of the typewriter this morning, when they pronounced that an embryonic tropical cyclone near Papua New Guinea was located NORTH of the equator. It is definitely to the south, and following an email from myself, they have now corrected the relevant bulletin.
Please keep the people along the north coast of the Bay of Bengal in mind this week.
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Geezz, Louise!! How much of that was error and how much was intensifing. - Barbara
ReplyDeleteWhat are their govenment officials trying to do....purposely put them in harms way with the hopes of lowering the population? I think at times our weather reposrt are a little over the top, but I'd rather know that a storm of any proportions is on it's way rather than be totally ignorant to it. All of those areas you mentioned are so poverty stricken...those dear people are like lambs being led to the slaughter without this information. Linda in windy western Washington state
ReplyDeleteI sure will be keeping these poor folks in my prayers. I pray that Sidr, will change direction and soon... Sybil x
ReplyDeleteYikes re: forecasting officials and not fully accurate information. Glad you got the one thing corrected.........
ReplyDeleteI was already worrying abou the folks on the Delta when you gave the first Tropical cyclone alert for this area. I was praying that it wouldn't get this bad as these poor people seem to get all the bad luck when it comes to storms and floods.
ReplyDeleteI will pray really hard for them Guido.
I hope you get through to the Indian Met Dept and rattle their cage if they are still asleep to the severity of this storm.
Jeanie.
I cannot even imagine wind speeds such as this - my thoughts will be with those poor people. Isn't JTWC the folks you recently corrected in another weather related issue? I think they should hire you as a consultant.
ReplyDeleteLisa