CYCLONE AMPHAN TO HIT ODISHA, BENGAL BORDER

The well-marked low pressure that lay over the Bay of Bengal on Saturday will develop into a cyclonic storm by Sunday morning. Christened Cyclone Amphan, it would intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm by May 18, carrying winds of 180 kmph.

It is expected to cross the coast betwen Odisha and West Bengal on May

20. The cyclone lay about

1,040 km south southwest of Khepupara of Bangladesh on Saturday.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said coastal AP can expect heavy rains and winds of 50 kmph till Sunday evening.

Heavy rainfall is likely to occur over north coastal AP. The sea condition will be rough to very rough in the same region. Fishermen were advised not to venture into south Bay of Bengal.

Distant cautionary signal number one kept hoisted at Visakhapatnam, Machilipatnam, Nizampatnam, Kakinada, and Krishnapatnam ports. In Bhubaneswar, Odisha Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Pradeep Kumar Jena told reporters that it was too early to predict the path of the system.

The Odisha government has alerted 12 coastal districts to remain prepared.

“The coastal districts in southern and northern regions have been asked to remain alert,” he said.

The rain will start from May 18 evening in the south coastal districts up to Kendrapara. Heavy rainfall may occur in north Odisha districts on May 19 with wind speed up to 60 kmph and gusting up to 80-85 kmph. The wind speed may gradually increase up to 110 kmph in some places. The coastal districts will experience heavy rainfall on May 20, the day of landfall, he said.

The districts, which will be affected in Odisha due to the cyclonic storm, include Gajapati, Ganjam, Nayagarh, Khordha, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj and Dhenkanal. The state government plans to deploy 20 teams of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force and 18 NDRF teams on Sunday or May 18, he added.