The model may help administrators evacuate areas likely to be hit by a storm surge and save valuable lives and property, S K Dube of the Centre for Atmospheric Sciences at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) here said.

The model is expected to specially benefit India's east coast that is frequently ravaged by the fury of cyclones.

It can identify the magnitude of a storm surge, the most likely areas where the surge is going to hit, and inundation areas up to 10-15 kilometres inside the coast, he said.

Surge or rise in sea level due to cyclone is the leading cause of death and damage as the rising wall of water inundates large areas. This is a common phenomenon in India's eastern coast and Bangladesh.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) istesting the operational feasibility of the model for its inclusion in IMD's cyclone warning programme, Dube told newsmen.