Even before storm-ravaged North Bengal braces itself, fresh thunderstorm warnings issued

Darjeeling: Even before the storm-ravaged districts of North Bengal have managed to brace themselves, the threat of similar weather in the coming days looms large. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued ‘orange’ thunderstorm and gusty wind warnings for Tuesday followed by ‘yellow’ weather warnings for Wednesday and Thursday for certain North Bengal districts.

The IMD weather warning issued on Monday has forecast: “Thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds (speeds reaching 40 to 50 kmph) along with hailstorm likely to occur in certain places” in Darjeeling district, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar on Tuesday under the ‘orange’ warning. “Thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds (speeds reaching 30 to 40 kmph) along with hailstorm likely to occur in certain places” under ‘yellow’ warning has been issued for Kalimpong, Alipurduar, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Malda. For Wednesday and Thursday, “yellow” warnings have been issued for Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling districts.

Sunday’s storm has left a trail of destruction in Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar. Jalpaiguri has been worst affected with four persons dead and around 300 injured in the storm. More than 1,500 houses have been razed to the ground. Weathermen opine that it was a tornado that had hit Jalpaiguri.

Weather experts opine that while in a thunderstorm there is no particular motion pattern of the wind, a tornado is a violent rotating column of air touching the ground. “The weather system that is conducive for tornado to form includes moisture and an insolation triggering system,” stated Dr Gopinath Raha of IMD Gangtok. There was the presence of a North South upper air draft from the Bay of Bengal — warm moist air in the lower layer and cold westerly wind from North Western India in the mid layer. The funnel cloud was a narrow strip and even sucked up trees and roofs.

Eyewitnesses claim that the violent rotating column of air originated in Zamadarpara in the Patkata Gram Panchayat area and was seen moving along the Teesta Belt. It crossed the Zilla School area in the Teesta Bandh area and then crossed over the Teesta River to Barnish and Putimari regions that faced widespread destruction.