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#CycloneNisarga: What is Cyclone Landfall and How it Impacts Coastal Areas

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The Severe Cyclonic Storm #Nisarga is all set to make landfall in the Maharashtra Coast.

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As per the current forecast, #CycloneNisarga is likely to hit land near Alibagh in Raigad district as a severe storm with a wind speed of 110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph on Wednesday afternoon.

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As on Wednesday morning, the storm is located at around 150 km away from Mumbai and is moving at a speed of 14 kmph.

What is #landfall?

A landfall, in simple words, is the storm moving over the land, after its intensification in the ocean (heat source).

Therefore, a tropical cyclone is said to make landfall when the centre of the storm (eye) moves across the coast. The tropical cyclones are usually formed in warmer seas.

As per the US National Hurricane Centre, definition, it is 'the intersection of the surface centre of a tropical cyclone with a coastline.'

The strongest winds of the cyclone are not at the centre but on the immediate surroundings of the eye of the storm, usually stronger on one side of the centre.

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Therefore, very high wind speed can be experienced over the land area when the cyclone is near the land—even when it does not make landfall. It can be vice versa, where the cyclone can make landfall but leave the strongest wind over the ocean.

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The landfall usually brings with it high-speed winds, severe storm surge and torrential downpour, which can have a severe impact on the region.

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Impact of the Nisarga Landfall

In case of the current cyclone, the impact of the landfall will be visible in the form of extremely heavy rainfall in excess of 200 - 250 mm in some areas of coastal Maharashtra on Wednesday.

Goa, coastal Karnataka and adjoining districts will also witness heavy rainfall of 100 mm or more.

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However, the Cyclone Nisarga is not as powerful as the previous one, Super Cyclone Amphan, which reached a whopping intensity of 240 kmph. Nisarga is likely to have a peak intensity of around 120 kmph just before the landfall.
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Gale winds of over 70-80 kmph are predicted over the coastal part of Maharashtra on Wednesday forenoon. Storm surge remains a major risk with a wave height of more than one metre above normal is likely over coastal part of Maharashtra on Wednesday noon.
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The Weather Channel Met team states, this system is forecast to strengthen its intensity gradually, but after the landfall, it will weaken rapidly.
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The main threats after the landfall are likely to be flooding, swollen rivers, lightning, the collapse of kutcha houses and fallen trees due to gale winds. A power outage is also possible due to damage near the coastal areas.

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The Severe Cyclonic Storm Nisarga is approaching the Maharashtra coast around #Alibagh in #Raigadh with a sustained wind speed of 100-110 kmph.

The landfall is likely to commence within the next three hours.