devastating tornado of kandi (9 april 1993) - a case...

Mausum. (19%).47. J. JUI -JU6 551.515..1 Devastating tornado of Kandi (9 April 1993) - A case study P. K. M ISRA R. N. GOL DAR and S. K. BAN ERJ EE Meteorological Offi ce. Calcutta (Received 8 April 1994. Modified 11 September 1996) ..... - 9 t993 .. """" ....... flm /i' 'Il1l ..- 1V<'lil) .. fn1r /i' ... """'"' /i' q_ mil i I ..- q fl>uflI .m rer ..-..ar o'l..-.fo'l ..-t i I (ri; 1!Il" """" mil i !lli l'I en .. f" oft;p, /i' 'Il1l f" ""'1ltriY it "'" it ;m i I '" .. .,... /i' .. f" .. lttl'T o;t'1 .. !lli'lT mil i I A case study of the devastating tornado which occurred in Munhidabad district of West Bengal on 9 April 199J is described. The synoptic situation and radar evidence in association with this tornado have been discussed. Also. how certain features of this tornado ccmpered with some of tornadoes reported over Wffi Bengal and attempt (0 provid e an explanation regarding a burning sensation felt by people with passag<" of this tornado has been made. Kf')' wordol- "lo m ad o. Radarscope. Convective activit y. Thunderstorm, Hailstorm, Bounded echo region (BWER). I. Introduction Frequency of occurrence of tornado in I ndia is rat her very low and is mainly confined to nort h and nort heast India . Some recorded cases of tornadoes from 1963 are indicated in Fig.I which is definitely not exhaustive. On 9 April. 1'1'13 a very devastating tornado ripped through five villages of Kandi sub-division of Murshidabad district in Wcst Bengal. In this papet Ihe synopt ic situation and radar evidence in association with this tornado have been discussed. It has also been discussed as 10 how cerlain features of this tornado compared with some of the tornadoes reported earlier over Wesl Bengal and Uniled States. 2. Description On 9 April. 1993 between 1530 to 1600 1ST. a tornado swept through five villages of Kandi subdivision of Mu rsh idabad district in West Bengal. The affected villages were Sujap ur unde rKhargram Police Stat ion (p.S.) and Khos baspur, Gokarna, Chhatra and Motra under Kandi P.S. (Fig. 2). The lornado was reported 10 have lasted for abo ut 15 min with 3to 5 m in at places on its track. Apart from killing more tha n fifty people. the tornado caused widespread damage to ho uses. ins ta lla tio ns. trees etc, on its track. (3111 ) As per the eye-witness repo rts co llec ted by the tou ring officer. the dark. towering clo uds started forming ove r "Pata n Bil" - a big mars hy la nd of area of abou t 12 sq km and situated about 5 km west of Sujap ur village under Khargram Police Stations ( near Lat. 24 ' N. l.ong. RR 'E). (F ig. 2) around 1530 1ST (Aajan rime), Thc cloud became darker and biggcr with red glow within the cloud . Suddenly. a funoel shaped cloud resembling the trunk of an elephant carne down from the base of the cloud and started drawing water just like an elephant. The whole thing started revolving in an ant i-clockwise sense with white smoke around red glow. It then advanced to wa rd , Sujapur village with a tremendous roaring sound as if a hu ndred aerop lanes were approaching. A, the system approached Sujapur, the v illa gers felt very hot with burning sensation on their bodies. Hails torm with hails of weight 250/300 gm (some even estima ted them to be of 500 gm) pre - ceded the tornado. Agee et al. (I976) and some of the Indian authors had also observed that large hails ofte n fall nea r the tornado just ahead of it. Within a few secon ds of the hailstorm, the tornado lashed the Sujap ur and other affected villages. Th e mud houses of these villages we re comp letely devastated, H igh tension electric towers in the ope n field were razed to the groun d. Th e roof of a doub le storeyed building (a factory. manufacturi ng cemen t pipes) ly ing by the road side in Sujapur was Ihrown abo ul 60 m 10 the north, A big banyan

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Page 1: Devastating tornado of Kandi (9 April 1993) - A case …metnet.imd.gov.in/mausamdocs/147311_F.pdfChhatra and Motra under Kandi P.S. (Fig. 2). The lornado was reported 10 have lasted

Mausum. (19%).47. J. JUI -JU6

551.515..1

Devastating tornado of Kandi (9 April 1993) - A case study

P. K. M ISRA R. N. GOL DAR and S. K. BAN ERJEEMeteorological Offi ce. Calcutta

(Received 8 April 1994. Modified 11 September 1996)

..... - 9~ t993 .. """" .......~ flm /i' 'Il1l !ll,,~o;i6 ..- 1V<'lil) .. fn1r/i' ... """'"' /i'~q _ mil i I ..- q~~ fl>uflI .m rer ..-..ar o'l..-.fo'l..-t i I (ri;~. 1!Il" """" mil i !lli l'Ien.. f" oft;p, /i' 'Il1l f" ""'1ltriY it~ "'" it ;m~ i I '"~ .. .,... /i'~ .. f"~ ..lttl'T~ o;t'1 .. ~ !lli'lT mil i I

A~IRA<"'''. A case study of the devastating tornado which occurred in Munhidabad district of WestBengal on 9 April 199J is described. The synoptic situa tion and radar evidence in association with thistornado have been discussed. Also. how certain features of this tornado ccmpered with some of to rn ad oesreported over Wffi Bengal and attempt (0 provide an explanation regarding a burning sensation felt by peoplewith passag<" of this tornado has been made.

Kf')' wordol- "lo m ad o. Radarscope. Convective activit y. Thunderstorm, Hailsto rm, Bounded ~ak echoregion (BWER).

I. Introduction

Frequency of occurrence of tornado in India isra ther very low and is mainly confined to nort h andnortheast India. Some recorded cases of tornadoesfrom 1963 are indicated in Fig. I which is definitelynot exhaustive.

On 9 April. 1'1'13 a very devas ta ting tornadoripped through five villages of Kandi sub-divisionof Mursh idabad district in Wcst Bengal.

In this papet Ihe synoptic situation and radarevidence in association with this tornado have beendiscussed. It has also been discussed as 10 how cerlain features of this tornado compared with some ofthe tornadoes reported earlier over Wesl Bengal andUniled States.

2. Descrip tion

On 9 April. 1993 between 1530 to 1600 1ST. a tornado swept through five villages of Kandi subdivision of Mu rsh idabad district in West Bengal.The affected villages were Sujap ur unde r KhargramPolice Station (p.S.) and Khosbaspur, Gokarna,Chhatra and Motra under Kandi P.S. (Fig. 2). Thelornado was reported 10 have lasted for about 15min with 3to 5 m in at places on its track. Apart fromkilling more than fifty people. the tornado causedwidespread damage to ho uses. ins ta lla tions. treesetc, on its track.

(3111 )

As per the eye-witness repo rts co llec ted by thetou ring officer. the dark. towering clouds startedforming ove r "Patan Bil" - a b ig mars hy land ofarea of abou t 12 sq km and situated about 5 kmwest of Sujapur village under Kha rgram PoliceStations (near Lat. 24 ' N. l.ong. RR 'E). (F ig. 2)around 1530 1ST (Aajan rime), Thc cloud becamedarker and biggcr with red glow within the cloud .Suddenly. a funoel shaped cloud resembling thetrunk of an elephant carne down from the base ofthe cloud and started drawing water just like anelephant. The whole thing started revolving in ananti-clockwise sense with white smoke around redglow. It then advanced to wa rd , Sujapur village witha tremendous roaring sound as if a hu ndredaeroplanes were approaching. A, the systemapproached Sujapur, the villagers felt very hot withburning sensation on their bodies.

Hailstorm with hails of weight 250/300 gm(some even estimated them to be of 500 gm) preceded the torn ado . Agee et al. (I976) and some ofthe Indian authors had also observed that largehails ofte n fall near the tornado just ahead of it.Within a few seconds of the hailstorm , the to rn adolashed the Sujapur and o ther affected villages. Themud hou ses of these villages were completelydevastated, H igh ten sion electric towers in theopen field were razed to the ground . The roof of adouble storeyed buildi ng (a facto ry. manufacturingcement pipes) lying by the road side in Sujapurwas Ih rown aboul 60 m 10 the no rth, A big banyan