APCEDI ALERT Sri Lanka-BOBW, Cyclone Fanoos (06B/TD 2), #5, 2006: Cyclone Fanoos Strengthens in Bay of Bengal, Threatens Sri Lanka and Southeast India

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) and the Sri Lanka and India Departments of Meteorology are continuing to provide guidance on Cyclone Fanoos (06B/TD2) in the Bay of Bengal.

Cyclone Fanoos is located about 540 km northeast of Trincomalee, Sri Lanka or 650 km east-southeast of Chennai, Tamil Nadu and is moving to the west-northwest at 04 kt. It is slowly strengthening. The JTWC has issued 6 cyclone alerts for this system.

With the continuing increase in intensity and the movement to the west-northwest, this is increasingly becoming a serious situation for both Southeast India and Northern Sri Lanka. Both countries are warning all maritime and fishing interests in affected areas to stay in port or if at sea, to seek shelter at the closest point immediately.

Given the heavy flooding in Tamil Nadu from Cyclone Baaz, and the saturation of soils throughout much of Southeast India and Sri Lanka from subsequent tropical waves, Cyclone Fanoos has the potential to cause widespread severe to localised devastating flooding across the area in and around where it comes ashore. This includes storm surge flooding, continued flooding of large area rivers and flash-flooding in hill areas. Chennai's 2 main rivers, the Adyar and Cooum continue at or near flood stage in many areas throughout the city and in rural areas. Thus any additional heavy rain in and around Chennai in the few days has the potential to make the situation much worse. More details on the news of the flooding in Chennai can be found in The Hindu

Authorities, aid workers and residents, especially in Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka and in Tamil Nadu and Southern Andhra Pradesh should maintain extreme vigilance with this system. Government and aid workers (including all AFAP, NSRC, RRI and other affiliated aid workers) along the Sri Lankan coast and in flood prone areas, should continue to carefully monitor this system and be prepared to assist communities in which they are working should the situation warrant and the Government of Sri Lanka issue any flood or storm warnings.


FROM JOINT TYPHOON WARNING CENTER
http://www.npmoc.navy.mil/jtwc.html

080900Z POSITION NEAR 10.5N 85.3E.
TROPICAL CYCLONE (TC) 06B (FANOOS), LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 350 NM EAST-SOUTHEAST OF MADRAS, INDIA, HAS TRACKED WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AT 04 KNOTS OVER THE PAST 06 HOURS. THE SYSTEM HAS TURNED NORTHWESTWARD OVER THE PAST 12 HOURS. TC 06B IS MOVING SLOWLY IN A WEAK STEERING ENVIRONMENT AS IT RECEIVES STEERING INFLUENCE FROM TWO ADJACENT RIDGES. THE SYSTEM HAS SHOWN SOME IMPROVED ORGANIZATION OVER THE PAST 12 HOURS. THE SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE OVER THE NEXT 12 HOURS AND THEN WEAKEN DUE TO INCREASED VERTICAL WIND SHEAR, INGESTION OF DRY STABLE AIR, AND INTERACTION WITH LAND. MAXIMUM SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT AT 080600Z IS 23 FEET. NEXT WARNINGS AT 082100Z AND 090900Z.//


SRI LANKA DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY
http://www.meteo.slt.lk/index.html

For December 08th.
The cyclonic storm "Fanoos" in the Bay of Bengal was about 600km North-East of Trincomalee at 07/2030 hours. It is moving to the west. The fishing and naval community is further advised to refrain their activities in the deep sea beyond 200kms off the coast from the North-Eastern coast.

There will be showers at a few places in the Northern, Eastern and Uva provinces. Thundershowers will develop at a few places in the Central, Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces during the afternoon or night.

Under the influence of cyclonic storm "Fanoos" in the Bay of Bengal, the deep seas off the coast extending from Jaffna to Batticoloa via Trincomalee will experience very rough conditions, strong winds and intermittent rain and thundershowers.

Winds will be Northwesterly or Variable and the speed will be 20-40 km/h.


INDIAN DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY
http://www.imd.gov.in/

No. BOB/12/2005/19 Dated : 08th December, 2005
Subject : Cyclone alert for Tamil Nadu Coast

The Cyclonic Storm, 'Fanoos' over southeast and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal moved slowly westward and lay centered at 1430 IST of 8th December, 2005 near Lat. 10.50 N and Long. 85.00 E about 600 km east-southeast of Chennai. The system is likely to intensify further and move in a westerly direction towards Tamilnadu Coast during next 48 hours.

Under its influence fairly widespread rainfall with isolated heavy falls are likely to commence along Tamilnadu-south Andhra Pradesh coast from 9th morning onwards. Strong winds with speed reaching 60-70 kmph also likely to commence from 9th morning along and off the above coast.

State of sea will become very rough to high as the system comes nearer. Fishermen along the above coast are advised not to venture into the sea.

WARNINGS

HEAVY RAINFALL WARNING

1). ISOLATED HEAVY RAIN LIKELY COMMENCE OVER COASTAL TAMIL NADU & PONDICHERRY AND SOUTH COASTAL ANDHRA PRADESH FROM 9TH MORNING.

2). STRONG WINDS WITH SPEED REACHING 60-70 KMPH AND ARE LIKELY ALONG & OFF ABOVE COASTS AROUND THE SAME TIME. STATE OF SEA WILL BECOME VERY ROUGH TO HIGH AS THE SYSTEM COMES NEARER. FISHERMEN ALONG THE ABOVE ARE ADVISED NOT TO VENTURE INTO THE SEA OVER THESE AREAS.


APCEDI will continue to monitor this cyclone as it moves toward India and Sri Lanka.

While APCEDI does not normally monitor cyclones in the Bay of Bengal, given AFAP's tsunami relief effort and that of many agencies in the region, APCEDI will continue to bring reports from this region, as warranted, for the next year or longer if needed.

Kevin Vang
APCEDI Coordinator
http://www.afap.org/apcedi/

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