Jal Bearing Down on Southeastern India

Tropical Cyclone Jal is bearing down on southeastern India, endangering residents and visitors over the next day or two as it spreads flooding rainfall and damaging winds across the region. The intensity of Tropical Cyclone Jal is currently the equivalent to that of a tropical storm with sustained winds near 60 mph. Landfall will be near the state border between Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. AccuWeather.com International Expert Meteorologist Jim Andrews warned this past Thursday that "the city of Chennai could be hit directly." Jal will come onshore with flooding rain and damaging winds. An inundating storm surge will also pose a serious danger. Locations along the immediate coastline in the path of Jal have already received heavy rainfall, with more on the way. Resultant flooding will be the biggest impact of Jal. More than 25 people have already died due to flooding from downpours ahead of Jal's landfall, and more than 70,000 people have been evacuated from their homes. The harvesting of crops has been affected by Jal with more than 300,000 acres of cropland being doused by heavy rain. After making landfall, Jal will continue to track into the interior of south-central India Sunday night. The higher terrain of this region will cause Jal to weaken in terms of its damaging winds. Heavy rain triggering flooding and mudslides will remain a concern.

-By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist
 Nov 7, 2010; 10:30 AM ET


 Content contributed by Eric Leister and Meghan Evans, meteorologists

Satellite Image of India on Sunday (Courtesy of India Meteorological Department)

Read more about tropical cyclone formation from: http://www.hurricanezone.net/articles/tropicalcycloneformation.html