New Delhi: The Indian Metrological Department has sounded an alert over a possible cyclonic storm over the coasts of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh on Saturday. According to the latest forecast by IMD the cyclone is likely to make landfall in Puri district. After landfall, it may again divert to sea. There is also a possibility of the cyclonic system not hitting the coast if it changes its path further.
The system meanwhile lies at about 670 km south-southeast of Gopalpur in Ganjam district and 760 km south-southeast of Paradip in Jagatsinghpur district. The deep depression over the west-central adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal will intensify into a Cyclonic Storm during the next 12 hours and will reach north Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast by Saturday morning, informed the India Meteorological Department on Friday.
"Depression intensified into Deep Depression over west-central adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal at 0530 IST of 3rd Dec 2021. To intensify into a Cyclonic Storm during next 12 hours & reach north Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast by tomorrow morning," IMD tweeted. As the low-pressure area over the southeast Bay of Bengal continues to develop in view of Cyclone Jawad, the Odisha government on Thursday evening issued guidelines to prevent its adverse effects.
Meanwhile, Odisha Regional Meteorological Centre has issued a red warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall with extremely heavy falls (more than 20 cm)for Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, and Jagatsinghpur on Saturday. It has also issued a yellow warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall at one or two places over Ganjam and Gajapati districts with heavy rainfall at one or two places over Koraput, Rayagada, Puri, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapada district till 8.30 am on Friday.
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Similarly, an orange warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall has been issued for Kendrapada, Cuttack, Khordha, Nayagarh, Kandhamal, Rayagada and Koraput while a yellow warning for heavy rainfall has been sounded for Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur and Malkangiri district on Saturday. On Sunday, an orange warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall has been issued for Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Cuttack, and Puri district while yellow warning for heavy rainfall has been sounded in Keonjhar, Angul, Dhenkanal, Nayagarh, Khordha, Ganjam and Gajapati districts.
Earlier, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal reviewed the preparedness to deal with the situation likely to arise due to Cyclone Jawad with Port Chairmen and stakeholders of coastal areas of various states via video conferencing. As per an official statement, the Ministry is closely monitoring the developing situation and has urged all to stay alert and prepared. The ministry has also taken various measures to secure all shipping vessels and has deployed emergency vessels and has also asked the states to alert the industrial establishments such as chemical and petrochemical units near the coast.
