This was the fourth tornado in Punjab since 2007, 15th in 119 years

How it occurs

When warm, moist air collides with cold, dry air, tornadoes can form. They can also generate hail and disturbing winds. The wind may die down, and the air may become very still before a tornado arrives.

The frequency of tornadoes in the North India

According to a research paper titled ‘Climatology of Tornadoes over Northwest India and Pakistan’ available on the IMD department’s website, a total of 15 tornadoes have been reported in Northwest India and Pakistan from June 1903 to March 2011. Out of these, 12 have recorded the exact dates of occurrence. Eight out of twelve occurred between March and June, which is the pre-monsoon season. In North India, the most fatal tornado was seen on March 17, 1978, in New Delhi, killing 28 people and injuring over 700, according to this research paper. On August 15, 2007, a tornado was seen in the Sahnewal area of Ludhiana, near the Sahnewal airport, which had damaged standing crops, uprooted trees, and blown off the roof of a tube well. It was also recorded by a villager on his mobile phone. Later, in July 2010, it was observed in the Fatehabad area, and again after a few days, on August 13, 2010, in the same area. Both incidents caused damage to standing crops only. On March 19, 2011, it was reported in the Sialkot area of Pakistan. According to news reports, a tornado was observed between Jalandhar-Nakodar in March 2015, while in mid-February 2018, it hit the Zira village of Ferozepur. In both incidents, no loss of life occurred, though some damage to crops and houses happened.

Forecasting tornadoes

Dr K K Gill, the head of the department of agro-meteorology at Punjab Agricultural University, says, “We can forecast such high-intensity winds three hours before the actual occurrence, which is called ‘Newcast.’ However, it is not always possible to detect them in our radar. For instance, the Fazilka tornado never appeared in our radar, so we couldn’t forecast it beforehand.” Nonetheless, we did alert people about extreme weather conditions on March 24 and 25 in the state.

Safeguards in case of a tornado

According to experts, one should go to the basement or take shelter in a small interior ground floor room such as a bathroom, closet, or hallway. One can take shelter under a heavy table or desk, but they need to stay away from windows, outside walls, and doors. Meanwhile, it needs to be mentioned that in many houses in Bukainwala, where the recent tornado occurred, boundary walls, gates or roofs got damaged due to which people/ cattle standing close to the walls got injured.

Residents in an area witnessing a tornado are advised to take shelter in a safe place, Dr Manmohan Singh said. “In video footage of Saturday’s tornado, I could see many people running towards the whirling winds to capture a few shots rather than reaching a safer place. Even if it comes without any warning, residents are advised not to stand under trees and to vacate kuchha or under-construction houses,” he added.

Tornadoes and their occurrence in March

According to the research paper on the climatology of tornadoes, of the 12 tornadoes with specific dates of occurrence in the 1903-2011 period, six occurred in March. The 2015 tornado in the Jalandhar-Nakodar area also occurred in March. “March is the transition phase of winter to summer. Due to a difference in air pressure this month, there are chances of tornadoes being seen in a few regions,” Dr Manmohan Singh, director of IMD Chandigarh, said.

How strong was the Bukanwala village tornado?

Dr Manmohan Singh said that IMD teams will study the tornado from the meteorological aspect on Saturday. “However, it was a localised tornado which appeared for a small duration and tornadoes do generate hail. This was the reason that hail storms occurred in districts around this region,” he added.