Cyclone Titli moving towards Odisha-Andhra Pradesh coasts
IMD issues red alert in Odisha for Wednesday and Thursday, forecasting 'heavy to very heavy rainfall' at several places and 'extremely heavy rainfall' at isolated areas
Bhubaneswar: The deep depression over the Bay of Bengal has intensified into cyclonic storm Titli and was moving towards the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh coast, the IMD said in a special bulletin on Tuesday.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) also issued a red alert in Odisha for Wednesday and Thursday, forecasting “heavy to very heavy rainfall" at several places and “extremely heavy rainfall" at isolated areas.
The cyclone over the west central Bay of Bengal moved west north westwards at a speed of 8 kilometre per hour (kmph) during the past six hours and intensified into cyclonic storm Titli, it said.
Titli lays centred at around 530 km southeast of Gopalpur in Odisha and 480 km east-southeast of Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, the IMD said.
“It is very likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours and move west northwestwards for some more time, then north westwards, and cross Odisha and adjoining north Andhra Pradesh coasts between Gopalpur and Kalingapatnam around morning of 11 October," according to H.R. Biswas, director of the Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar.
Thereafter, the system is very likely to re-curve northeastwards, move towards Gangetic West Bengal across coastal Odisha and weaken gradually, he said.
Under its influence, heavy rainfall is likely at some places in south coastal Odisha’s Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts from Wednesday.
This apart, districts such as Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Khurda, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore, were expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall on Wednesday and Thursday, the IMD said.
It also predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall for Kandhamal, Boudh and Dhenkanal district from Thursday.
The IMD said the rainfall would be accompanied by wind speeds reaching 40-50 kmph and gusting to 60 kmph. It is very likely to commence along and off Odisha coast from tonight, it said.
“The wind speed will gradually increase to 80-90 kmph and gusting to 100 kmph from Wednesday evening along and off south Odisha coast and 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph along and off north Odisha coast," the IMD bulletin said.
The IMD said since the sea condition was likely to be rough over central and adjoining north Bay of Bengal in the next 24 hours, and very rough on Wednesday and Thursday, fishermen along the Odisha coast, and central and north Bay of Bengal have been advised not to venture into sea till Friday.
The state government also issued a storm surge warning, stating it will be about 0.5 metre high above the astronomical tide and is very likely to inundate low-lying areas of Ganjam, Khurda and Puri districts of Odisha and Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh during the time of landfall.
Deputy Special Relief Commissioner P K Mohapatra informed that around 300 motor boats had been arranged to assist in rescue operations since there was likelihood of flood situation due to possibility of heavy rains till 11 October.
This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.
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