The torrential rains that accompanied Tropical Storm Fengal have left four dead and more than 250,000 displaced in Sri Lanka. They now threaten the coasts of southern India, authorities announced on Thursday, November 28.
The bodies of four children missing in the floods that covered eastern Sri Lanka have been found by emergency services, who continue the search for several more.
According to the Disaster Management Center, the sudden rise in water forced at least 276,000 people to leave their flooded homes and seek shelter in public buildings. The army was called in to help the victims.
“Very intense rains and gusts of wind are expected in the northern and northwestern provinces”stated the Sri Lanka Meteorological Department in its bulletin on Thursday morning.
The storm expected in India on Saturday
Its Indian equivalent (IMD) indicated on Thursday that Fengal was slowly continuing its route along the eastern coasts of Sri Lanka towards the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, which it should reach on Saturday.
“The storm is likely to intensify slightly into a cyclone with winds of 100 to 120 km/h that may reach 140 km/h in the southwest Bay of Bengal”according to the bulletin published Thursday morning.
The IMD advised fishermen in the region to remain in port and the Indian Navy was put on alert for possible sea rescue and replenishment operations.
Cyclones, the equivalent of Atlantic hurricanes and Pacific typhoons, are a common threat in the Indian Ocean. Deadly floods and landslides caused by rain are common in South Asia, especially during the monsoon. Experts say climate change is increasing in frequency and severity.
