The Indian Ocean coast of South Africa is home to at least four tropical cyclones a year. One of these, a Hurricane which formed in the Bay of Bengal, last year, was slow-moving and dumped damaging rains across the country, affecting farms, killing livestock and destroying properties.
This year, a less severe yet more destructive hurricane has formed in the Bay of Bengal. Coral rainforest monitoring network COVID estimates the cyclone is the 2nd most intense on record, recording wind speeds of up to 155 miles per hour (240km/h).
In the Middle East, tropical cyclones are known as “hurricanes”. But Hurricane Tani in 2003 has been referred to by some as “The Long Hurricane” because it remained in the region for six days, causing the highest loss of insured property in Bangladesh’s history.
The Catastrophic Loss List
Hurricane Tani, one of the deadliest hurricanes of the early twenty-first century, made landfall on 16 September 2003 off the coast of Bangladesh. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one woman died from a stroke sustained during her evacuation, but she was not evacuated because of its position. There was also an 89% increase in the risk of death among healthy men in metropolitan cities following the hurricane. The World Health Organization (WHO) said that about 1.1 million children under the age of five were displaced by the storm, and more than 200,000 houses were destroyed.
Floodwaters caused by Hurricane Tani
What is the Catastrophic Loss List?
The Catastrophic Loss List is an annual list prepared by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) for the protection of life, property and natural resources. The list is drawn up using available data on damage and the ability to rebuild in a safe and legal way. The final calculation is informed by data from previous Catastrophic Loss Lists conducted between 1989 and 2013. According to the 1992 disaster, more than 780,000 people lost their lives in 150 countries. Each year, the WMO updates the list to indicate the annual losses attributable to environmental hazards that had taken place.
Fatalities Figures
Since 1990, more than 800,000 people have died as a result of natural disasters, says the WMO. The highest loss of life occurred in January 2017, when a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Lombok and Bali islands in the Indian Ocean. At least 1,508 people died, and more than 1,630 were injured, many of them trapped inside collapsed homes.
Signs and symptoms
Yellow flowers are called typhoons when the typhoon is in the Philippine Islands, and typhoons are also called typhoons when they are located in the Philippine islands, or when they form in the South Pacific or the eastern Pacific Ocean. While it is impossible to predict which cyclone will make landfall in South Africa, the slightest change in the path of the cyclone, such as an increase in wind speed or dip in pressure, can significantly affect its ultimate arrival.
The dengue virus is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito and can cause dengue fever and severe complications that can be life-threatening. The symptoms of the infection can vary and should be confirmed by a doctor. Almost 4.5 million people in South Africa, including more than one million children under the age of 15, live in dengue hotspots.