Tornado in India: Rare Storm Takes Tourists by Surprise in Odisha – VIDEO

Bhubaneshwar: A staggering visual of a tornado occurring in Odisha's Khordha district took tourists by surprise and panicked them for a few moments. The sky-high storm over the lake was a rare event on Friday. The massive tornado, also known as a waterspout and a tornado, was seen southwest of the temple of Kalijai, Chilika's presiding deity, while hundreds of tourists were enjoying the sights.The sudden change in atmospheric pressure and the tornado created such fear among the visitors that they started screaming and running for their lives. This wind activity, which lasted for a few minutes, was called 'Haathisundh' (elephant's trunk).Before it disappeared, some tourists captured the tornado on their phones and shared it with others. Following

this, some video clips of the incident are now going viral on various social media platforms.However, this is not the first time such a tornado has been observed over the world-famous Chilika Lake. Similar weather activity was also observed in 2018 and 2019.

How Often Do Tornadoes Occur in India?

Tornadoes do not happen often in India, but they do occur sometimes, especially in the eastern and northeastern parts of the country. These include areas like West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, and Assam. Tornadoes also happen in Bangladesh, which has similar weather.

How Strong Are They?

In India, tornadoes usually occur during the pre-monsoon season nearly between March and May. It is because warm and wet air from the Bay of Bengal meets cool, dry air from the north. This mix-up can cause storms that sometimes turn into tornadoes. Though these are not very strong ones, they can still cause damage and even kill people. In 2009, a tornado in West Bengal killed over 100 people and destroyed many homes. In 2021, another tornado damaged buildings in the same state.