Developing tropical storm triggers deadly landslides in Sri Lanka
Thursday, May 19, 2016 - 08:21
in Earth & Climate
A storm does not have to be especially powerful in terms of its winds to be deadly. Such is the case with Tropical Cyclone 01B (TC 01B) in the Bay of Bengal. Despite only reaching minimal tropical storm intensity just this morning at 06 UTC 18 May 2016, the system has been responsible for dumping heavy rains in and around Sri Lanka and southern Indian over the past few days as it tried to organize itself in the southwestern Bay of Bengal. This set the stage for two massive landslides, which buried 3 villages in south central Sri Lanka. So far, although several hundred people have been rescued, it is feared from 150 to as many as 400 others may have been buried by the mudslides.