Atmosphere Journal Entry
Atmosphere Journal Entry
Cyclone Batters Southeastern India (May 26, 2010)
Satellite view of Tropical Cyclone Laila swirling across the coast of southern India this week. NASA.
Fierce Tropical Cyclone Laila battered southeastern India this week, packing winds of over 75 mph (120 km/h). The deadly storm killed at least twenty-three people after making landfall near Bapatla, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) southeast of Hyderabad. Dozens of fishermen are missing in the Bay of Bengal. The powerful storm whipped up sea surges as high as 9 feet (3 meters) along the coast. The cyclone knocked down power lines and trees, swamped major roads, and triggered landslides.
Laila swamped the region with heavy rain. Parts of Andhra Pradesh got over 12 inches (30 cm). More than 50,000 people were evacuated from coastal villages as the storm approached after swirling across the warm waters of the Bay of Bengal.
The storm kicks off India's summer monsoon season. The monsoons replenish the parched land but often trigger destructive floods in low-lying areas of India and Bangladesh. The most deadly cyclone in the region in recent memory slammed Andhra Pradesh in 1977, killing 100,000 people.
