Cyclone Michaung: All schools to be shut in Odisha on 6 December

Given possible heavy rainfall due to cyclonic storm Michaung over the Bay of Bengal, the Odisha government has ordered to shut all the schools on 6 December (Wednesday).

Also Read: Cyclone Michaung LIVE Updates: Eight killed as heavy rain batters Chennai; landfall today

In an official notification, the office of the collector and district magistrate, Gajapati wrote, “All the primary, upper primary, high school, and anganwadi centre shall remain closed on 6th December 2023”.

Meanwhile, the Chief Secretaries of Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and Puducherry, along with the Special Chief Secretary of Revenue and Disaster Management in Andhra Pradesh, briefed the committee on the preparatory measures being implemented.

Also Read: Cyclone Michaung news: Heavy rains pound southern India, paralyses Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh | Video

Previously, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) preemptively cancelled 60 trains within its jurisdiction in anticipation of Cyclone Michaung's landfall. Additionally, ECoR has established a Crisis Management Cell to oversee the situation related to Cyclone Michaung.

Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), ECoR Ashoka Kumar Mishra said, "Taking advantage of early predictions of the meteorological forecasts and also the experiences of earlier management of disasters, ECoR has planned for early restoration of train traffic and Railway Track, if affected by the cyclone Michaung. Round the Clock Disaster Management Cell has been opened at ECoR HQs at Rail Sadan and Divisional Headquarters at Visakhapatnam, Khurda Road and Sambalpur."

Also Read: Cyclone Michaung landfall today! IMD predicts imminent rainfall in 4 states. Check list here

Helpline Numbers: Bhubaneswar: 0674 - 2301525, 2301626, 2303060.

IMD has issued a yellow warning for heavy rain in specific locations. This alert applies to one or two places in Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Nayagarh, Khurda, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri, and Rayagada districts on December 6.

Fishermen have been cautioned against venturing into the deep sea along and off the Odisha coast from December 4 to 6.

Meanwhile, in a post on X, IMD wrote, “Severe Cyclonic Storm Michuang over Westcentral Bay of Bengal off south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamilnadu coasts moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 07 kmph during past 06 hours and lay centred at 0230 hours IST of 5 Dec 2023, about 20 km north-northeast of Nellore, 170 km north of Chennai, 150 km south of Bapatla and 210 km south-southwest of Machilipatnam.”

Also Read: Cyclone Michaung news: Heavy rains pound southern India, paralyses Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh | Video

“As the system is nearly moving northwards close to the coast, some parts of the wall cloud region lie over land. Likely to move nearly northwards parallel and close to south Andhra Pradesh coast and cross south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Machilipatnam, close to Bapatla during the forenoon of 5th December as a Severe Cyclonic Storm,” IMD tweeted.