[texas booster]

Early Wednesday the vast weather system – visible from space – was 125 kilometres (80 miles) offshore with gusts up to 200 kilometres per hour (125 mph), the equivalent of a category three hurricane, the Indian Meteorological Department said.

It was expected to ease slightly but still pack a ferocious punch when it crosses the coasts of West Bengal state and neighbouring Bangladesh on Wednesday "afternoon to evening" with gusts up to 185 kph....

[texas booster]

From floods in Michigan to floods on the other side of the Earth, weather is in the news.

Prayers to those in its’ path, which is expected to hit Kolkata (Calcutta) directly.

[the_daug]

“While the storms’ frequency and intensity have increased – a phenomenon blamed partly on climate change – deaths have fallen thanks to faster evacuations, better technology and more shelters.” Climate change’s fault!

[IronJack]

Get ready for the body-count stories. Expect millions to die, as they always seem to do in these kinds of disasters in those overcrowded poverty factories.

Someone farts in a phone booth in Mumbai and 400 people die. A street vendor's cart gets away from him on a hill and a whole city is wiped out. It's always the same story.