Odisha put on high alert as cyclone Titli to hit tomorrow

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha government on Tuesday put five coastal districts on high alert with cyclone Titli expected to make landfall at about 5.30 am on Thursday, close to Gopalpur, about 170 kms from the state capital. Weather department has issued a warning that wind speed is expected to reach 125 km per hour.

Special Relief Commissioner Bishnupada Sethi said collectors of Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara have been alerted on the possibility of heavy rainfall from Wednesday morning. They have been asked to remain alert and make necessary arrangements to shift people living in low lying areas.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in a special bulletin on Tuesday said the depression that formed over south-east and adjoining eastcentral Bay of Bengal intensified into a deep depression as it moved further west-northwestwards with a speed of about 10 kmph. The depression is expected to take the form of a cyclonic storm in the next 24 hours triggering heavy rainfall and stormy winds in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

“It is very likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm in the next 24-hours and is expected to move west-north westwards for some more time and then north westwards and cross the coast between Gopalpur of Odisha and Kalingapatnam of adjoining north Andhra Pradesh around Thursday morning,” said HR Biswas, director, Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre .

Sethi said fishermen along the Odisha and Andhra Pradesh coast have been advised not to venture into the sea.