Squall, a rare weather event in Telangana

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A rare weather phenomenon recently uprooted approximately 1 Lakh trees across 200 hectares in the Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary. Although there was no reported loss of wildlife, the ecological damage, described by environmentalists as the result of a squall, has raised concerns.
हाल ही में तेलंगाना के एटुरनगरम वन्यजीव अभयारण्य में एक अचानक आए तूफान ने लगभग 200 हेक्टेयर क्षेत्र में फैले करीब एक लाख पेड़ उखाड़ दिए। हालांकि इस घटना से वन्यजीवों को कोई नुकसान नहीं हुआ, लेकिन पर्यावरणविद इस तूफान से हुए पारिस्थितिक क्षति को लेकर चिंतित हैं।

Experts remarked that they had never witnessed such an event in the region before. Elusing Meru, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Protection and Vigilance), said, “This is a highly unusual incident, especially in a state like Telangana. It appears to be the result of strong winds and a possible cloudburst. Special teams from the forest department are currently assessing the full extent of the damage caused by this weather event.” विशेषज्ञों का कहना है कि उन्होंने इस क्षेत्र में पहले कभी ऐसी घटना नहीं देखी। प्रधान मुख्य वन संरक्षक, एलुसिंग मेरू ने बताया कि यह तेलंगाना के लिए एक बेहद असामान्य घटना है और यह तेज हवाओं और संभवतः बादल फटने का परिणाम है। वन विभाग की टीमें इस घटना से हुए नुकसान का आकलन कर रही हैं।

Forest officials also noted, “We don’t yet know the exact speed of the squall, but based on the damage, it was likely more than 90 km/h. Additionally, the uprooted trees are from a plantation, not the natural forest. These plantations are relatively young, less than 10 years old, unlike forest trees, which are over 50 years old and deeply rooted, making them more resilient to strong winds.” / वन अधिकारियों का अनुमान है कि तूफान की गति 90 किलोमीटर प्रति घंटे से अधिक रही होगी। उखाड़े गए पेड़ प्राकृतिक वन के नहीं बल्कि मानव निर्मित plantation थी। ये Plantation अपेक्षाकृत नये थे और प्राकृतिक वनों के पेड़ों की तुलना में कम गहरी जड़ों वाले थे, जिसके कारण वे तेज हवाओं का सामना नहीं कर पाए।

Officials from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) added, “This seems to be a highly localized convective activity. While we are still studying the event, preliminary observations suggest it was triggered by thunderstorm activity, heavy rains, and significant pressure drops, giving it a tornado-like effect.

Such phenomena are common in regions like West Bengal and the northeastern parts of India but are extremely rare in Telangana. / ऐसी घटनाएं पश्चिम बंगाल और भारत के उत्तरपूर्वी हिस्सों में आम हैं लेकिन तेलंगाना में यह बेहद दुर्लभ है।

Squall ?

A squall is a sudden, sharp increase in wind speed (violent burst of wind), typically associated with a brief but intense storm (thunder). It often brings strong winds, heavy rain, or snow, and may also include lightning or thunder. Squalls can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, and they are typically more intense than a typical wind but shorter in duration than a storm or cyclone.

Formation causes

When there is enough heating and sufficient supply of moist winds from the Bay, the air closer to the surface of the earth heats up. Moist air is much lighter than dry air and moves up. It reaches the atmosphere and condenses into water droplets. The clouds storing the droplets become heavier and start descending, causing rainfall.

At the early stage of a thunderstorm there is an updraft. In the mature stage, there is both an updraft and downdraft. That means a simultaneous upward movement of warm moist air and downward movement of cold and denser air. Towards the end, there is only the downdraft.

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