India: Deadly Cyclone Michaung Causes Severe Flooding
Cyclone Michaung brought torrential rainfall and powerful winds in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday and left at least 17 dead in the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu. More than 32K people have been shifted to over 400 relief camps in Tamil Nadu alone, authorities said....
Facts
- Cyclone Michaung brought torrential rainfall and powerful winds in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday and left at least 17 dead in the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu. More than 32K people have been shifted to over 400 relief camps in Tamil Nadu alone, authorities said.1
- Cyclone Michaung struck the coast of Andhra Pradesh as a 'severe' cyclonic storm but later weakened.2
- Officials warn that heavy rains — which have caused flooding in low-lying coastal areas and cut power and communication lines — will continue to batter the state. However, the cyclone will 'weaken into a depression by Wednesday morning.'3
- In Tamil Nadu's capital Chennai, floodwaters triggered the shutdown of Apple iPhone production at Taiwan's Foxconn and Pegatron facilities.4
- Authorities at Chennai International Airport suspended operations on Monday and canceled 70 flights to and from the city 'due to severe weather conditions' after heavy rains caused the runway to submerge.5
- State authorities have set up a disaster response force, established over 5K aid camps along Tamil Nadu's coast, and advised residents to stay indoors until the storm impacts have subsided.6
Sources: 1The Indian Express, 2Yahoo News, 3CBS, 4The Canberra Times, 5Hindustan Times and 6Associated Press.
Narratives
- Narrative A, as provided by The Conversation. Cyclones in the Bay of Bengal are becoming more intense, potent, and destructive because of global warming and climate change. Warmer weather allows air to retain more water vapor, which is why the global community must implement policies to cool the global temperature to save lives and billions of dollars in damage.
- Narrative B, as provided by The Conversation. It's easy to dismiss extreme weather events, including cyclones, as a consequence of climate change. However, in reality, they're usually influenced by a myriad of factors and interrelated processes. More research is needed before establishing any direct causal link between the two.
