Swell surge: ‘Orange’ alert issued for 11 coastal states
coastal states orange alert
During the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, low-lying areas of Kerala and southern Tamil Nadu reported strong swell surges with reports of seawater gushing into properties near the coastline. (File photo)
Eleven coastal states and Union territories will continue to experience rough sea conditions with a high possibility of swell surge in the next two days, said experts.
Hyderabad-based Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) issued an ‘Orange’ warning on Sunday, and stated, “There is a possibility of rough sea with swell surge warning over low-lying coastal areas of Kerala, south Tamil Nadu, Lakshadweep, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, north Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar islands till alerts are lifted.”
During the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, low-lying areas of Kerala and southern Tamil Nadu reported strong swell surges with reports of seawater gushing into properties near the coastline.
Experts said that southern coastal districts in Kerala, and Tuticorin and Tenkasi districts in Tamil Nadu will continue to experience swell surges with waves as high as 1.5 metres hitting the coastline till the wee hours of Monday.
The recent swell surge coincided with the high tide period adding to the wave height and intensity.
Besides currents, winds can trigger sea waves of varying heights and intensities. When strong winds blow across the calm sea water surface, friction is created between air and water. This then leads to an increase in the wave’s surface area, and thus its size. As waves get formed with rougher surfaces, winds find it easier to push waves of higher intensity to long distances.
swell surge
An ‘orange’ alert prevails over India’s coastline warning of swell surge. ( Photo Source : INCOIS)
The ongoing storm surge being experienced by some coastal areas was triggered on April 26 in the southern Atlantic Ocean, located approximately 10,000 km away from India. Climatologically, the swell surges move slowly but cover enormous distances. Based on its Ocean State Forecast, INCOIS officials said that the slow-moving swell surge reached closer to the southern Indian Ocean around April 28 and later hit India’s southern tip on Saturday.
In its fisherman warning issued on Sunday, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority said that the coastline along Kerala, Lakshadweep and Karnataka was safe for fishing. However, wind speed ranging between 45-55km/hr gusting to 65km/hr was likely to affect coastal Andhra Pradesh till May 7. The authorities have asked all fishing activities and beachside visits in this region to be suspended.
The Bay of Bengal is expected to remain rough during the week ahead. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of sea waves measuring 2.5-4 metres along Andhra Pradesh and Odisha whereas moderate waves measuring 1.25-2.5 metres could lash the Tamil Nadu coast on Monday.
For the latest news from across India, Political updates, Explainers, Sports News, Opinion, Entertainment Updates and more Top News, visit Indian Express. Subscribe to our award-winning Newsletter Download our App here Android & iOS