Cyclone alert issued for Odisha, Andhra Pradesh

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday issued a cyclone alert for Odisha and Andhra Pradesh as a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal was forecast to intensify into a cyclonic storm within the next 12 hours.

According to the IMD, the weather system over the west-central and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal had moved westwards at a speed of around 15 kmph during the previous six hours before intensifying into a deep depression.

The system was located around 310 km east-southeast of Kalingapatnam on the Andhra Pradesh coast and approximately 300 km east-southeast of Gopalpur in Odisha.

The IMD forecast that the system would continue moving west-northwestwards and cross the south Odisha-north Andhra Pradesh coast between Kalingapatnam and Puri, close to Gopalpur, around midnight as a cyclonic storm.

At landfall, the system was expected to bring winds of 60-70 kmph, with gusts reaching up to 80 kmph.

The approaching storm was also expected to bring intense rainfall. Heavy to very heavy rain was forecast at several places in Odisha, while isolated areas of south Odisha and north coastal Andhra Pradesh could receive extremely heavy rainfall.

Coastal areas were expected to experience increasingly strong winds. The IMD warned that squally winds of 45-55 kmph, with gusts up to 65 kmph, were likely along and off the Odisha and north Andhra Pradesh coasts. Wind speeds were expected to increase to 60-70 kmph, gusting up to 80 kmph, from Thursday evening and continue for the following 12 hours.

The weather system posed a potential risk of damage in several coastal and adjoining districts. In Andhra Pradesh, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam were identified as vulnerable areas. In Odisha, Gajapati, Ganjam, Khurda, Nayagarh and Puri were expected to be among the affected districts.

Authorities were also advised to remain alert to the possibility of waterlogging, disruption to road and local transport services, damage to vulnerable structures and interruptions to power and communication networks in areas experiencing strong winds and heavy rain.

The IMD issued a specific warning to fishermen, advising them not to venture into the northwest Bay of Bengal or along and off the coasts of Odisha, West Bengal and north Andhra Pradesh during the period of adverse weather.

With the system expected to intensify rapidly before making landfall, coastal districts were placed on heightened alert, and residents in vulnerable areas were advised to closely follow official weather and local administration advisories.