India to provide aid to people affected by cyclone ‘IDAI’ in Mozambique - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

India to provide aid to people affected by cyclone ‘IDAI’ in Mozambique.

In the wake of Cyclone Idai which ravaged South African nations of Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe, killing as many as 100, India diverted three naval ships to the port city of Beira in Mozambique to provide immediate humanitarian aid and disaster relief.

Secretary Economic Relations (ER) TS Tirumurti tweeted, "In response to request from Mozambique hit by tropical cyclone causing loss of lives and damage, India has diverted 3 Indian Naval Ships to port city of Beira to provide immediate Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief of food, clothes and medical help to affected people."

A total of around 1.5 million people have been affected by Cyclone Idai's torrential rains and winds that have reached speeds of up to 200 kilometers or 124 miles, per hour.
According to a lawmaker from the affected area, Joshua Sacco, the number of people missing is unclear as an entire village in Zimbabwe's Chimanimani East district was swept away due to flash floods triggered by torrential rains.
"We are talking about the loss of lives, at the moment 65 deaths have been confirmed," Sacco told Anadolu Agency.
Stressing that death toll could rise in the coming days, Sacco said: "We are worried about an area called Copper where Rusitu and Nyahode Rivers meet and that's where the whole police camp and several government houses were swept away. We don't know where those workers are."
Rescue efforts have been challenging owing to the inclement weather and Zimbabwean military forces are being forced to use road transport for providing immediate aid, despite facing challenges and dangers of encountering several damaged bridges.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has cut short his visit to the UAE due to the ensuing crisis and is closely monitoring the situation.
Cyclone Idai has left a trail of destruction in eastern Zimbabwe, with flash floods sweeping away houses and destroying trees and crops.
The tropical cyclone which made landfall first in Mozambique on Thursday evening, spread to Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa affecting millions of people in the region.
Farmers in the affected areas said that massive losses have been recorded as agricultural fields have been inundated, destroying crop plantations. (Source: The Business Standard)


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India to provide aid to people affected by cyclone ‘IDAI’ in Mozambique.

Kerala to get cyclone warning centre, another Doppler radar - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Kerala to get cyclone warning centre, another Doppler radar.

At present, the India Meteorological Centre (IMD) has six cyclone warning centres in Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

The Union Ministry of Earth Sciences has announced it will set up a cyclone warning centre in Kerala and boost weather forecasting in the state with another Doppler radar.
The new centre will be set up in Thiruvananthapuram. At present, India Meteorological Centre (IMD) has six cyclone warning centres, four along the east coast at Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar and Kolkata, and two along the west coast at Ahmedabad and Mumbai.
“In view of the recent heavy rainfall, and concerns over extreme weather activities in future, the ministry has decided to set up another centre, which will provide regular coastal bulletins and heavy rainfall alerts. This will enable the state to prepare better in case of developing low-pressure and further strengthen the present forecasting activity of the IMD’s existing office in Thiruvananthapuram,” said Kamaljeet Ray, scientist at the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
According to officials, the centre will be equipped with state- of-the-art forecasting tools to provide daily weather alerts and coastal warnings. It is expected to be functional within a month.
The ministry has also proposed setting up another C-band Doppler weather radar at Mangalore to provide “nowcast” alerts for severe weather, including thunderstorms triggered by heavy rain for the next 2-3 hours.
The radar, which costs Rs 3 crore, will cover northern Kerala and Karnataka and is expected to be installed by the end of next year.
Currently, there are two Doppler radars in the state, at Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, which cover the central and southern districts, respectively. With the addition of another radar, the entire state will be covered for monitoring rainfall and severe weather events.
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IMD has developed many new models and tools right from nowcasts (2-3 hours) to extended range forecasts (15-20 days’ lead time).
“Thunderstorms are easily captured by radar. The track can be seen and warning can be issued three hours ahead. Since they are formed in association with heavy rains and cyclones, these radars are extremely useful links before severe weather affects the state,” said Ray. (Source: Livemint)


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Kerala to get cyclone warning centre, another Doppler radar.