Happy Newyear 2017...

Feb 12: Fiji becomes the first country to ratify the UN climate deal (signed Paris, December 2015)

Feb 12: Britain's Ordnance Survey, using NASA data posts map of Mars on Flickr.

Apr 12: Breakthrough Starshot: scientists and internet entrepreneurs, including Yuri Milner, Stephen Hawking and Mark Zuckerburg, announce interstellar project to send robot spacecraft to Alpha Centauri.

Dec 12: Cyclone Vardha hit Chennai after 22 years

Dec 12: Cyclone Vardha hit Chennai after 22 years:

CHENNAI: Severe cyclonic storm Vardah pounded Chennai at an unprecedented 140kmph for a good 90 minutes on Monday Dec 12, 2016 afternoon until it crossed the city and travelled inland, bringing at least 10cm rainfall and claiming seven lives.

Cyclone Vardah made landfall in Chennai on Monday afternoon between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., uprooting trees, defacing highrises, smashing cars, disrupting public transport and telecommunication, bringing the metropolitan area to a standstill. The weather system that was first noticed nearly five days ago, grew into a 'very severe cyclonic storm' and by the time it crossed the city near the Chennai Port, it had weakened into a 'severe cyclonic storm' with maximum wind speeds touching 110 kmph-120 kmph, bringing at least 10cm rainfall and claiming seven lives. The worst is over, said weathermen, forecasting light to moderate rainfall in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram and Villupuram districts in the next 24 hours. By evening, the wind speed had reduced to 15-25kmph. At least seven people, including a 3-year-old child and four women died in separate rain-related incidents in the city

A cyclone in Chennai after 22 years
Chennai: Dec 11, 2016: 16.00 IST
"We have lot of advisories from various departments. We are trying to convert them into advisories to the people. The corporation itself is gearing up to meet any eventuality," said K.Phanindra Reddy, Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department Secretary. Weather blogger R.Pradeep John said Chennai would see landfall of Severe Cyclone with 100 km/hr winds. "Chennai has not seen landfall of a cyclone since 1994. Heavy to very heavy rains are likely to lash the city, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram areas close to coast," he said. "It seems Chennai will witness 100 km/hr tomorrow when cyclone vardah makes landfall close to Chennai or in Chennai itself. The last time this happened was in 1994. The other cyclones such as Cyclone Jal in 2010 (Chennai landfall) and Cyclone Nilam 2012 (Mahabs landfall) were a damp squib. So, many would have forgotten how a cyclone crossing would feel like and many would never know what it would be like. I remember the 1994 cyclone as a school kid and have put the newspaper snap shots after 116 km/hr winds and 132 km/hr gusts devastated Chennai in 1994. It was also the last time an eye of cyclone passed over Chennai," he said.

Name of cyclone 'Vardah' given by Pakistan
NEW DELHI: The name of severe cyclonic storm 'Vardah', which at present lays over the Bay of Bengal, has been given by Pakistan. 'Vardah', which means 'red rose', is expected to hit northern Tamil Nadu and southern Andhra Pradesh by tomorrow. By the time it makes landfall, its intensity is expected to reduce considerably. Name of cyclones in the Indian Ocean Region are decided by member countries -- India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, Myanmar, Maldives and Oman. The last cyclone that hit Chennai was 'Nada', a name suggested by Oman

Vardha shattered Chennai: The Numbers
Nature's fury is back to smite the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. On Dec. 12, a "very severe" cyclonic storm hit Tamil Nadu shores, causing death and destruction in its capital city, Chennai, besides other areas.
The cyclone named Vardah made landfall north of Chennai at around 3pm. The weather department had initially forecast that the cyclone would weaken before making landfall but that did not happen and the city was lashed by winds blowing at up to 140 kmph. Only last year, Chennai had received the heaviest rains in 100 years, flooding it for weeks.
Vardah, which means red rose, was named by Pakistan. Here, in numbers, are the developments in the wake of Cyclone Vardah:
10 dead: At least 10 persons died in rain-related incidents in Chennai on Dec. 12. This includes a three-year-old child and four women.
Nearly 20,000 evacuated: The government undertook massive evacuation in low-lying areas and around the shores of Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh where Vardah was initially predicted to make landfall. About 10,000 people have been evacuated from areas near the sea in Tamil Nadu and over 9,400 persons moved to relief camps in Andhra Pradesh.
Nearly one lac trees: The rain and winds have uprooted nearly one lac trees across several places in Chennai, The Times of India newspaper reported.