APCEDI ALERT Sri Lanka-BOBW, Cyclone Fanoos (06B/TD 2), #10, 2006: Cyclone Fanoos Dissipates over Tamil Nadu

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) and the Sri Lanka and India Departments of Meteorology are providing final guidance on Cyclone Fanoos (06B/TD2), which is now dissipating over land in Tamil Nadu.

Cyclone Fanoos weakened rapidly just before crossing the Tamil Nadu Coast near Vedaranyam around 11:00 AM local time (IST) yesterday. Fanoos continues to weaken as it tracks west at 8 kt, and the remnants are now on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala Border southwest of Vedaranyam. Areas of heavy rain continue over much of the South and Central Tamil Nadu Hill Country moving into Southern Kerala.

The JTWC has issued their 11th and final cyclone alert for this system. A flooding risk continues over the hill country of Tamil Nadu and Kerala States. Both India and Sri Lanka are continuing to warn all maritime and fishing interests in affected areas to stay in port although restrictions may be lifted later today or tomorrow. While the remnants of Fanoos will continue to weaken rapidly now that is it over land, very heavy rain will continue over much of the area for another 12-24 hours.

Damage reports are beginning to come in from the area.

Sri Lanka: The Tamil Net News Service is reporting widespread minor to moderate damage in Northern Sri Lanka especially in the Jaffna Peninsula with areas of more severe damage. This news service is reporting that thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed particularly in Vadamaradchy north and east. There are no reports of injuries or deaths. Damage assessments are continuing.

Tamil Nadu:The Hindu is preliminarily reporting only minor damage to homes and buildings throughout affected coastal areas in large part due to the storm weakening rapidly just before impact yesterday. However, the effects on the agriculture sector are likely to be more severe from initial reports. The 30,000 people evacuated from Nagapattinam District are now being allowed to return home. The Chennai area did not receive much rain so the flooding situation was not exacerbated there. Damage assessments are continuing.

More details on the situation in Tamil Nadu can be found in The Hindu. More news on the situation in Sri Lanka can be found in The Lanka Academic.

Government and aid workers (including all AFAP, NSRC, RRI and other affiliated aid workers) in Northern Sri Lanka should now try to assess the level and nature of the damage there, to determine the needs of the displaced and affected communities.

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

102100Z POSITION NEAR 9.8N 78.4E.
TROPICAL CYCLONE (TC) 06B (FANOOS), LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 150 NM EAST OF COCHIN, INDIA, HAS TRACKED WEST-SOUTHWESTWARD AT 08 KNOTS OVER THE PAST 06 HOURS. LANDFALL HAS SIGNIFICANTLY WEAKENED TC 06B. HOWEVER, A MORE SOUTHERLY TRACK THAN EXPECTED WILL RESULT IN LESS TIME OVER LAND PRIOR TO THE LOW LEVEL REEMERGING IN THE ARABIAN SEA. WHILE REGENERATION IS NOT EXPECTED, THE SITUATION WARRANTS FURTHER OBSERVATION. THIS IS THE FINAL WARNING ON THIS SYSTEM BY THE JOINT TYPHOON WARNING CENTER (NAVPACMETOCCEN). THE SYSTEM WILL BE CLOSELY MONITORED FOR SIGNS OF REGENERATION.//

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

For December 11th.
Cyclonic storm "Fanoos", is moving away from the island. There will be showers in several places Northern, Eastern, North central and Northwestern, Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces during the morning. Scattered thundershowers will develop in most provinces during the afternoon and night.


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

The deep depression over southwest Bay of Bengal moved westwards and crossed Tamil Nadu coast near Vedaranniyam this morning around 1100 hrs. IST and has further weakened into a depression at 1130 hrs. IST with its center close to Vedaranniyam over land. It now lies at 1430 hrs. IST near Vedaranniyam over land. It will continue to move further in a westerly direction and weaken gradually. Under its influence fairly widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy falls are likely over Tamilnadu during next 24 hrs. State of sea will be rough to very rough along and off Tamilnadu coast during next 12 hrs.. Fishermen along the above coast are advised not to venture into the sea for another 12 hrs.
Rainfall activity over Tamilandu is likely to decrease after 24 hrs. However, it is likely to increase over Kerala and commence over South Interior Karnataka and Lakshadweep from tonight.

HEAVY RAINFALL WARNING

Isolated heavy to very heavy falls are likely over Tamil Nadu & Pondicherry . Isolated heavy falls also likely over Nicobar Islands and Kerala.

State of the sea will be rough to very rough along and off Tamilnadu coast during next 12 hrs.. Fishermen along the above coasts are advised not to venture into the sea for another 12 hrs.


APCEDI will determine whether further advisories are needed on the system and issue them as necessary.

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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