Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has issued a warning in all 30 districts as a depression in the Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm and is slowly moving towards the coast.
The IMD said that the cyclone is likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada on the evening or night of Aug 28, with maximum wind speeds of 90-110 kmph. It said that Odisha will receive the heaviest rainfall on Aug 28 and 29.
The IMD has issued red, orange and yellow warnings for several southern and coastal districts of Odisha, where rainfall of more than 20 cm is likely at isolated places.
Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Poojary said that personnel and machinery have been prepared for rescue and relief operations in all 30 districts of the state and that the district collectors have been directed to evacuate people from low-lying areas as heavy rains and surface winds are likely to hit the state.
He said that 15 districts in the coastal and southern regions will be affected by the upcoming cyclone. Meanwhile, keeping in mind the urgency of the situation, about seven districts in the southern and coastal regions have cancelled the leave of government employees.
The depression that had formed over the southeast Bay of Bengal in the last 6 hours has moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 10 kmph and has intensified. It is likely to move almost west-northwestwards and is likely to further intensify into a cyclonic storm over the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal in the next 24 hours. Later, it is likely to move northwestwards, then north-northwestwards and It is likely to intensify into a severe storm on the morning of the 28th, it said.