Before the storm, in Colombo (Sri Lanka), November 27, 2024. ERANGA JAYAWARDENA / AP The torrential rains accompanying tropical storm Fengal have left four dead and more than 250,000 displaced in Sri Lanka. They now threaten the coasts of southern India, the authorities announced Thursday, November 28. The bodies of four children missing in the floods that covered eastern Sri Lanka have been found by emergency services, who are continuing the search for several others. According to the Disaster Management Center, the sudden rise in water forced at least 276,000 people to leave their flooded homes and seek shelter in public buildings. The army was called in to help the victims. “Very heavy showers and gusty winds are expected in the northern and north-western provinces,” the Sri Lankan Department of Meteorology said in its bulletin on Thursday morning. Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers How the COPs, these climate conferences accused of perpetuating inaction, can reform Read later The storm expected in India on Saturday Its Indian equivalent, the IMD, announced Thursday that Fengal was slowly continuing its route along from the eastern coasts of Sri Lanka towards the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, which it should reach on Saturday. “The storm may strengthen slightly to become a cyclone with winds of 100 km/h to 120 km/h and gusts up to 140 km/h in the southwest Bay of Bengal,” according to the bulletin. published Thursday morning. The IMD advised fishermen in the region to stay in port and the Indian Navy was put on alert for possible sea rescue and resupply operations. Cyclones, the equivalent of Atlantic hurricanes and Pacific typhoons, are a common threat in the Indian Ocean. Deadly floods and landslides caused by rain are common in South Asia, especially during the monsoon. Experts say climate change is increasing its frequency and severity. Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers Broken dreams of reconciliation in Sri Lanka Read later Le Monde with AFP
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four dead and more than 250,000 affected in Sri Lanka, India placed on alert
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