Cyclone Amphan makes landfall, here's what landfall exactly means
Cyclone Amphan began landfall on Wednesday afternoon. Odisha and West Bengal are bracing for impact as Cyclone Amphan unleashes its full fury on parts of the western coast of India. Heavy rain and gale-force wind have affected several districts in the Gangetic West Bengal since morning, increasing in intensity with each passing hour. At 3:05 pm, the wind speed at Dum Dum airport was recorded at 76 km per hour, the meteorological office said.
But what exactly is landfall of a cyclone?
Tropical cyclones generally form on high seas and then move towards the land. The power of a cyclone is maximum when it is over water than when it is on land. This occurs due to frictional differences.
Every cyclone has an 'eye' the region at the absolute centre. The description means that its the worst place to be right?
Not quite.
The eye of the storm is relatively calmer place that other parts of the cyclone. It may even cause absolutely calm weather conditions in ideal situations.
Eye of the storm is at the very centre of a cyclone
However, the eye of the cyclone is surrounded by eyewall that causes the most devastating damage. The destructive power of the cyclone is at it's maximum here.
When the centre of the cyclone moves over the coast and moves inland, the cyclone is said to have made landfall.
As Cyclone Amphan makes landfall, government agencies have swung into action.
"More than 1.41 lakh people living in low-lying areas and thatched and mud houses in the vulnerable coastal regions were evacuated and shifted to cyclone shelters," Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), PK Jena said.