Chennai: It’s rare to hear the news of tornado or twister reported in India, especially in South India. However, this North East Monsoon, labeled as ‘once in a century’ extreme rainfall event, saw a weak twister hitting a village in Sankarankovil in Tirunelveli damaging few houses on November 18.
The rare occurrence has largely gone unreported, but now researchers are chancing upon the opportunity to study the event for deeper understanding.
Scientists at Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation Research of Anna University and Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology are likely to do a case study, but the challenge would be to get the radar images.
The State has two Doppler Weather Radars (DWRs) in Chennai and Karaikal. The distance between Sankarankovil to Chennai and Karaikal is about 600 km and 420 kms approximately. To get a clear image, the targeted area should be within 100 km range.
Dr. K. Palanivelu, director, Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation Research, said that the centre plans to have a discussion with Indian Remote Sensing (IRS), Anna University and National Remote Sensing Institute in Hyderabad on how best the satellite images can help. “It’s a rare event and we would definitely like to know more about it”.
S.B. Thampi, a renowned radar expert and Deputy Director General, Regional Metrological Centre (RMC), told Deccan Chronicle that there is no report on twister in Sankarankovil as the place is out of range of the IMD radars. The last twister that was reported was in 2013 in Uthandi on the outskirts of Chennai. RMC found a tornado vortex signature (TVS) on the Chennai Doppler radar on September 12, 2013.
Sources said IMD has planned to install radar in Ramanathapuram and already acquired land for it. The radar procurement process in underway at present. Radar in Ramanathapuram is being installed in the second phase along with one in Trivandrum and Goa to boost its network in West Coast. Radar Network of India Meteorological Department, at present, has 14 S-band and 25 X-band radar and radars including 5 DWRs.
