To those of us sitting in Bangalore, Cyclone Thane is just a cold, wet day to grumble about. Or perhaps even enjoy as we huddle (or perhaps cuddle – but don’t let us give you any ideas) amid cups of tea. But out on the east coast of India, the cyclone’s fury was at its peak early this morning. In Pondicherry,  winds tore trees off the ground, hurled dustbins afar, snapped coconut trees like matchsticks, ripped windows out of their hinges, and tossed catamarans and boats ashore. Gigantic, furious waves washed up boulders onto the esplanade and raging winds smashed the doors of the French Consulate with debris. Sahastrarashmi, who is running on erratic broadband on his last minutes of electricity, sends these unsettling pictures from Pondicherry.