Thorough study awaited on Bara-Parsa tornado

Kathmandu, April 12 . Thorough study of the ‘tornado’ occurred in Bara and Parsa districts last week is still awaited. Although a study team returned the capital city after inspection of the storm hit districts concluding that it was ‘tornado’, it has not made public the detailed study.

The experts are wondering what to name it, so the study is continuous from various sides.

Senior meteorologist Dr Archana Shrestha after the field visit observed, “Detailed study is required on it because Nepal witnessed first of its kind storm. Study on its strength, comparative study of world records, evidences found in the field will provide base to ascertain what it is- whether tornado or not.”

According to her, the US is the country recording highest number of tornado in the world- some 1,200 in a year alone.

Study is on that the picture on satellite signals that the windstorm originated from Pokhara, moves gradually towards Chitwan and showed strength in Bara and Parsa with devastation in human life and physical properties. The concrete in some houses were blown 80 meters away, but some houses in the neighbour are normal. These signal that it has the features like that of tornado, she added.

The tornado had some effects near Thori of Chitwan. The trees in Chitwan National Park are fallen, which is yet to be studied well. When the hot air going up and cold air coming down strike each other, it creates tornado. Whirling of wind, escaping could is necessary for a storm to be tornado, the experts argued.

Similarly, another team member visiting the disaster hit area, Piyush Dahal, who is also the research coordinator of The Small Earth Nepal, shared that with the preliminary study, the tornado might have passed up to 90 km.

Similarly, Academician at Nepal Academy of Science and Technology, Madan Lal Shrestha, said, “Tornado can have the velocity of 400 km per hour. The preliminary study has shown that Nepal’s tornado occurred at the velocity some 200 km per hour.”

It is stated that the authority failed to collect the forecasting record due to lack of radar in and around the storm affected areas.

India’s Patna based radar failed to give prior information about the monsoon and the deadly occurrence of the tornado.

The meteorologists have urged all to be alert during the situation warned of risk. They stressed on further investigation into the incident as it was of new kind in Nepal.

Meteorologist Prof Sureshraj Acharya said that they were making post mortem of the deadly incident. RSS