Cyclone Sidr

While volcanoes have been 'rumbling' in Indonesia this week, in another part of Asia a violent cyclone (tropical storm) has taken a huge toll of human life. The storm, called Cyclone Sidr, swept in from the Bay of Bengal late on Thurday and affected much of southern Bangladesh. Present estimates suggest that it may have claimed as many as 900 victims but that figure is likely to rise as rescue workers reach remote areas and the fate of the fisherman who were at sea at the time the cyclone hit is revealed. http://geology.com/world/bangladesh-map.gifAs well as 150mph winds and torrential rain, the cyclone unleased a 5m high tidal storm surge which swept inland destroying buildings, livestock and crops as well as claiming a huge human toll in the flat delta lands which make up most of the southern part of the country. There are some very good accounts of the cyclone which you can read on the Internet. For example, this BBC newspage gives a good up-date and there is a very good first hand account of the cyclone from a BBC World Service reporter who has recently been travelling through the country documenting the effect of climate change on its people.

There is a particularly good interactive resource on the Guardian website which has some video footage and some very poignant photos such as this baby born during the storm with the devastated remains of its family home in the background