More

    Major Landslides in Kerala’s Wayanad District

    A series of major landslides in Kerala's Wayanad district, triggered by heavy rains, have resulted in casualties. A climate scientist warns of future risks.

    - Advertisement -

    Major landslides shook the mountainous area of Meppadi in Kerala’s Wayanad district on Tuesday morning after heavy rains. At least 106 people died, 128 were injured, and hundreds more were thought to be trapped.

    Climate Scientist’s Warning on Future Risks in Wayanad

    A renowned climate scientist has issued a warning, stating that the creation of deep cloud formations due to the warming of the Arabian Sea may cause unusually heavy rainfall in Kerala in a shorter amount of time and increase the risk of landslides. This concernin revelation comes after a string of landslides in the steep areas of Wayanad district caused by intense rain, which have killed at least 45 people and left many more feared trapped beneath the debris.

    The states of Kasargod, Kannur, Wayanad, Calicut, and Malappuram have been receiving significant amounts of rainfall for the past two weeks as a result of the active monsoon offshore trough that has affected the entire Konkan region, according to S. Abhilash, the director of the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT).

    Role of Arabian Sea Warming in Extreme Weather

    “The soil was already saturated from continuous rainfall, and the formation of a deep mesoscale cloud system off the coast of the Arabian Sea on Monday triggered localized landslides in Wayanad, Calicut, Malappuram, and Kannur,” Abhilash told PTI in an interview.

    Abhilash emphasized that the current weather patterns could indicate a similar risk by drawing comparisons between the cloud formations and those observed during the devastating floods in Kerala in 2019. Researchers have noted a pattern in the formation of extremely deep cloud formations over the southeast Arabian Sea that sporadically break inland, akin to what happened in 2019.

    Meteorological Data and IMD Observations

    These deep clouds are forming because of the destabilization of the atmosphere caused by the southeast Arabian Sea’s growing warmth. The rain-bearing belt has moved southward and away from its historical zone in the northern Konkan region due to atmospheric instability connected to climate change, according to Abhilash. The results of their study show that during the monsoon season, the probability of landslides in the high to mid-land slopes of the Western Ghats in eastern Kerala increases with the intensity of rainfall.

    Regarding the current weather, the IMD stated that rainfall values ranging from 19 to 35 centimeters were recorded by a number of automatic weather stations located in the districts of Thrissur, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, Malappuram, and Ernakulam. “Many IMD automatic weather stations in the affected areas documented rainfall exceeding 24 cm within 24 hours, with some farmer-installed stations recording over 30 cm,” Abhilash stated.

    READ: CONCERNS RISE OVER TIGER DEATHS IN MADHYA PRADESH

    LEAVE A REPLY

    Please enter your comment!
    Please enter your name here

    Latest Posts

    India Expresses Willingness to Facilitate Peace Talks

    India stated on Friday that it is prepared to help positively to the restoration of peace between Russia and Ukraine, but that the two...

    Frances Tiafoe Defeats Ben Shelton in Epic Five-Set Battle at US Open

    It turned out to be a Friday matinee hit, even though it deserved to be on primetime. In front of a crowded Arthur Ashe...

    Principal Dr. Sandip Ghosh Suspended by IMA Amid Controversy

    New Delhi: Dr. Sandip Ghosh the former principal of Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital, where a doctor was sexually assaulted and killed this month, has...

    Death Penalty for ‘Deadpool Killer’ Wade Wilson After Gruesome Murders

    The Deadpool Killer, Wade Wilson, was given a death sentence on Tuesday, August 27, for his heinous murder of two people in Florida "for...