This Article is From Nov 11, 2009

Is climate change behind cyclone Phyan?

A cyclonic storm, which is being called Phyan by the Met office, is developing over the Arabian Sea off the north Maharashtra and south Gujarat coasts.

It's likely to hit Mumbai as well as inland Maharashtra on Wednesday bringing heavy to very heavy rainfall.

Is climate change behind cyclone Phyan?

It seems almost prophetic what the UN panel on climate change had warned in 2007. Mumbai and Kolkata will face the maximum brunt of the climate change.

That's what the report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said. Mumbai, it said, is particularly vulnerable.

"Since Mumbai has reclaimed ocean land substantially, they are going to have a tough time.
Though the average rainfall would reduce, yet flash rains will be the major cause of worry for urban populace in Mumbai."

Just this year cyclone Aila killed more than 120 people and left 5 lakh homeless in coastal west Bengal. Kolkata saw a deluge.
 
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