The name Vardah, which means red rose, was given by Pakistan. Cyclone Vardah made landfall in Tamil Nadu and coastal Andhra Pradesh. Tropical cyclones passing over the northern part of the Indian Ocean are named by India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman and Thailand, turn wise. The World Meteorological Organization has allowed them to name cyclones originating in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. Hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons are also the same weather phenomenon. They are called by different names in different places.
A cyclone comes over land with exceptionally strong wind and heavy rainfall. When the cyclone approaches land, the outer edges start incorporating the air over the land.
Once cyclone Vardah made its landfall, the eye passed over Chennai within hours. Heavy rainfall and high wind speeds followed.
After it passed, rainfall subsided and wind speeds decreased.
The Eye of a cyclone is the center of the storm. It is relatively the calmest part of the storm.
The Eyewall of a cyclone is the ring that surrounds the Eye. It consists of thunderstorms and usually high velocity winds. It is the eyewall which marks its severity after a landfall.
Rainbands are curved bands of clouds and thunderstorms that form the outer layer of the cyclone. They are responsible for heavy bursts of rain and wind.
A Landfall is the intersection of the center of a tropical cyclone with a coastline, according to the US National Hurricane Center.
A landfall generally occurs when the eye of the cyclone moves over land. A landfall is often accompanied by strong winds, lashing rain and rising sea waves that could endanger people and cause damage to property inland. After hitting the land, it starts to lose speed and energy. Due to a cyclone, there is convergence of warm and wet and the cool and dry air. This convergence leads to thunderstorms and tornadoes.
According to the IMD, the dense fog in northern India is linked to the cyclonic activity in Bay of Bengal because fog is usually observed in the December end, but this year it was seen earlier.
