Odisha braces for cyclone, keeps rescue teams ready
● THE LOW PRESSURE area formed over the South Andaman sea on Friday morning may intensify into a depression on May 7 and subsequently turn into a cyclonic storm by the evening of May 8. ● IT’S INTENSITY and effect on Odisha is yet to be calculated
The Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre on Friday confirmed that the low pressure area formed over the South Andaman sea on Friday morning may intensify into a depression on May 7 and subsequently turn into a cyclonic storm by the evening of May 8.
Taking to Twitter, the Met Centre said, “The Low Pressure Area over South Andaman Sea and adjoining Southeast Bay of Bengal very likely to move northwestwards, intensify into a Depression by 7th May evening and further into a Cyclonic Storm by 8th May evening.” (sic)
“It is very likely to continue to move northwestwards and reach Westcentral Bay of Bengal off north Andhra-Odisha coasts by May 10,” it added.
Speaking to reporters here, weather expert Umashankar Das said, “Following the formation of cyclonic storm on the evening of May 8, it will move towards NorthWestwards and reach the west-central Bay of Bengal and adjoining Odiaha-Andhra coast on May 10, which is 200 kms away from the shore.”
“It’s intensity and effect on Odisha is yet to be calculated,” he said.
On Friday morning, several parts of the state saw an overcast sky and experienced a few spells of rain.
Odisha’s Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Jena said that the state government was ready to face any eventuality with 17 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, 20 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams and 175 fire fighting teams who are on standby.
The India Meteo-rological Department on Friday issued heavy rainfall warning for four districts of Odisha on May 10 during the approach of the possible cyclonic system from the Bay of Bengal towards the north Andhra and Odisha coasts.
Light to moderate rainfall is very likely at many places over the districts of coastal Odisha while heavy rainfall is likely to occur at one or two places over the districts of Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur on May 10.
The system, which is presently over South Andaman Sea and adjoining Southeast Bay of Bengal, very likely to move northwestwards, intensify into a Depression by the evening of May 7 and further deepen into a cyclonic storm by May 8th evening, the IMD said in a bulletin.
Once developed into a cyclone, the system is very likely to continue to move northwestwards and reach westcentral Bay of Bengal off north Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coasts by May 10.
The national weather agency has, however, not clarified the track, intensity and place of landfall of the system so far.
In his media interaction with reporters in Delhi, IMD director general (DG) Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the most accurate predictions about the possible cyclone can only be ascertained once it develops into a depression.