Watch: Tornado-like storm hits Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi, six injured, causes major property damage, IMD says its not a…
A powerful tornado-like storm swept through parts of Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district on Sunday evening, causing widespread damage.
Watch: Tornado-like storm hits Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi, six injured, causes major property damage, IMD says its not a… | Image: X
Residents of Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district witnessed a dramatic tornado-like weather phenomenon on Sunday evening, which left a massive trail of destruction of homes and public property. Six people sustained injuries after fragments of sheets, which flew in the air, fell on them. They were rushed to Thoothukudi Medical College Hospital with fractures. After the scorching heat in the forenoon, a sudden weather change was witnessed in the region.
Not A Tornado, Said Met Department
The dramatic tornado-like weather phenomenon hit Thoothukudi district on Sunday evening, leaving a trail of destruction behind it. However, the IMD clarified that the event was not a tornado but a strong thunderstorm caused by a cumulonimbus cloud system.
Residents Recorded Video
In the video, which was recorded by the residents, the whirling column of dust and debris started gaining intensity and formed a funnel-like formation in no time. The wind was so strong that it started lifting objects in the air as it moved across the landscape.
The major impact was reported around Vagaikulam and Mudivaithanendal villages. According to residents, strong winds uprooted trees and damaged household belongings.
A private theme park, which is located near the Vagaikulam toll plaza, suffered major damage. Strong winds damaged amusement installations and glass panels.
What Did The Weather Experts Say?
According to experts, the funnel-like structure was expected to be caused by a powerful updraft beneath a cumulonimbus cloud. The natural phenomenon created vertically stretched columns that were filled with dust and debris.
"Tornadoes are extremely uncommon over Thoothukudi during the southwest monsoon because the atmospheric conditions normally required for tornado formation - strong pressure gradients, significant low-level wind shear and organised storm-scale rotation - are generally absent," NDTV quoted weather officials as saying.
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