IMD issues red alert as cyclonic storm ‘Titli’ heads towards Odisha and Andhra Pradesh
Bhubaneswar, October 9: The heavy rainfall and cyclonic storms have reeled Odisha and Adhra Pradesh under red alert zone. With this, a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal has intensified into a cyclonic storm, Titli, and is moving towards the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh coast, issuing a red alert for Odisha by Indian Meteorological Department.
The IMD has forecast “heavy to very heavy rainfall” at several places and “extremely heavy rainfall” at isolated areas accompanied by wind speeds reaching 100 kmph. The IMD informed that the cyclone Titli is very likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours. It is likely to move northwestwards from tonight and cross Odisha and adjoining north Andhra Pradesh coasts between Gopalpur and Kalingapatnam around Thursday.
Titli is presently centred at about 530 km southeast of Gopalpur in Odisha and 480 km east-southeast of Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. The IMD bulletin said while wind speeds would reach 100 kmph along south Odisha coast, it would remain within 75 kmph in the north.
In a dampener to the festive spirit ahead of Durga Puja, the IMD has also predicted that south and coastal regions of West Bengal was likely to experience heavy to very heavy rain along with the windy weather in the next five days. Rainfall is predicted in North and South 24-Parganas, Howrah, Burdwan, East and West Midnapore, Nadia and Murshidabad.
Fishermen along the Odisha coast and central and North Bay of Bengal have been advised not to venture into sea till Friday. Heavy to heavy rainfall has been predicted in south coastal Odisha’s Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts from Wednesday. Kendrapara, Khurda, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore are expected to receive very heavy rainfall on Wednesday and Thursday, the IMD said.
The Odisha government has also issued a storm surge warning, stating that low-lying areas of Ganjam, Khurda and Puri districts of Odisha and Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh may be inundated during the time of Titli’s landfall. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has issued an alert to all coastal districts and collectors have been asked to make necessary arrangements to shift people living in low-lying areas