RED ALERT FOR SAFETY.... FANI MAY HIT HIMALAYAN AND SUB HIMALAYAN AREAS

KalimNews and agencies , 3 May 2019:  Extremely severe Cyclone Fani (Foni in Bengali meaning snake) is striking the areas of Himalayan and sub-Himalayan areas too. It is the current issue for everybody. Moderate Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph, Hail lightning and light to moderate rainfall likely to affect.
Red alert has been issued to the public and school authorities in the state of West Bengal and also to the Darjeeling and Kalimpong Hill areas. Several departments like disaster management and NGOs are making the public aware of the effects of Fani. The effect will probably start from tonight (3rd May ) and will last till 4th May.

NGOs like Save the Hills have been updating the public through the social media. Environment based social activist Prafulla Rao who heads Save the Hills and administrates Whatsapp group like Hazard Alerts posted as follows:

We will definitely start feeling the effects of FANI by the 04May, if not earlier.
• I have been posting FANI tracks for days now and today it shows the 'cone of uncertainty' drifting south, away from the Darj-Skm Himalaya and maybe that is lulling us into a  sense of false security.
• But make no mistake, the storm is HUGE and we will have very heavy and high intensity rain in a few days even if we r in the peripheral areas of the storm.
• So it's time to ACT.
• I urge my NGO friends, village level samajs and community clubs to meet tomorrow to:
a. Check each other's resources - manpower, vehicles, power rescue equipment such as saws, digging implements, earthmovers, generator sets, food etc.
b. Form volunteer groups in each respective areas to handle rescue and evacuation.
c. Discuss safe zones and evacuation plans and routes.
d. Keep emergency food, medicine and water supplies handy.
e. Pl expect electricity and communication lines to go dead for days, so check generators, fuel supplies, solar lighting equipment, esp in hospitals and safe zones.
f. Liase with govt Disaster Management officials for help, sharing resources.
g. Share important phone numbers ie each other's, hospital, police, Control Room etc
h. Charge mobile phones, torches, power banks etc. Refuel your vehicle tomorrow.
j. Keep your family disaster kit ready.
k. Schools, colleges may consider shutting down for a day or so when the storm hits us.
We will be posting updates to this and other information on HA.

Cyclonic storm Fani brought ahead the summer vacation for students in government schools along with government-sponsored and non-government-aided schools in Bengal after the school education department on Thursday issued a circular to suspend classes from Friday. The vacation will continue till June 30.
The circular sent to schools by secretary Manish Jain stated that due to ‘Fani’, which is likely to hit West Bengal and adjoining areas, and the prevailing hot weather condition in the state, it was decided to keep the classes suspended till June 30. The state government also urged private schools affiliated to other boards to consider the situation and bring ahead the summer vacation.
The National Disaster Response Force has deployed several teams in the city and all districts of the state to deal with the aftermath of the cyclone in next few days.
One team has been kept on standby at the Response Centre in Kaikhali for the city. Three teams have been stationed in Siliguri, while one team has been pressed into service at Pakyong in Sikkim.
“One team comprises almost 40 personnel, including engineers, medical team, radio operators, life guards, a team with life boats, swimmers and demolition squad. From Sunday, our teams were being deployed in the districts where they are making the locals aware of how they would remain safe during the natural calamity,” said Abhay Kumar Singh, officiating commandant of NDRF in the state.

The latest update issued by the Indian Meteorological Department at the time of posting of this post is as follows: 

The Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm „FANI‟ (pronounced as ‘FONI’) over West central & adjoining Northwest Bay of Bengal moved north-northeast wards with a speed of about 16kmph in last six hours and lay centred at 0230 hrs IST of 03rd May, 2019 over Northwest & adjoining Westcentral Bay of Bengal near latitude 18.6°N and longitude 85.2°E, about 150km south-south west of Puri (Odisha),about 80 km southeast of Gopalpur (Odisha), about 225km northeast of Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), and 450km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal).It is very likely to move north-north eastwards and cross Odisha Coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali, south of Puri during 3rd May forenoon with maximum sustained wind speed of 170-180kmph gusting to 200kmph.Landfall process is very likely to continue till noon/afternoon of 3rdMay. After the landfall the system is very likely to continue to move north-northeastwards, weaken gradually and emerge into Gangetic West Bengal as a Severe Cyclonic Storm with wind speed of 90-100 Kmph gusting to 115 Kmph by early morning of 4thMay.It is very likely to move further north-northeastwards and emerge into Bangladesh on 4thMayevening as a Cyclonic Storm with wind speed 60-70 Kmph gusting to 80 Kmph