Bhubaneswar, May 3: Extremely severe cyclonic storm 'Fani' made landfall in Puri on Odisha coast Friday morning, triggering heavy rainfall coupled with high-velocity winds with speed of 175 kmph in vast areas. Several trees were uprooted and thatched structures destroyed at some places including Bhubaneswar. Large areas in the seaside pilgrim town of Puri and other places were submerged with water as heavy rains battered the entire coastal belt of the state. In spite of extremely adverse weather, uprooted trees being removed by Ganjam Police and giving their best at Chatrapur areas.
Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik has made appeal all to stay indoors and undertake all safety measures as Cyclone Fani continues to affect #Odisha.
Many areas in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack are waterlogged and government-appointed engineers are trying to drain out that water.
Puri and neighbouring areas are experiencing wind with a speed of 175 kilometres per hour which may go up to 200 kmph. The power supply has been affected across the coast. Wind speed in Bhubaneswar is 120-130 kilometres per hour (kmph), which was 100 kmph till noon, in Cuttack, it's about 150 kmph and in Paradeep 160-165 kmph.
"The cyclone has entered the Odisha coast at Puri around 8 am and it will take around three hours for the entire landfall process to be completed," Director of Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, H R Biswas said. All Central and state agencies are ready to deal with the situation.
Fani weakened into VSCS at 1130 Indian Standard Time near 20.2N/85.9East about 10 km east of Bhubaneswar & 30 km south of Cuttack.
Under the impact of the cyclone, the high-velocity wind is sweeping across several coastal districts like Ganjam, Puri, Khurda and Gajapati, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) B P Sethi said.
Nearly 11 lakh people have been evacuated from vulnerable and low-lying areas of at least 11 coastal district, he said, adding the evacuees have been accommodated in over 4,000 shelters, including 880 specially designed cyclone centres.
The cyclonic system, whose eye is around 28 km, is moving at around 30 kmph, Biswas said, adding the process of landfall completed in the afternoon. Thunderstorm with light rain and gusty winds (20-30 Km/h) to occur over and adjoining areas of Barsana, Bharatpur, Mathura during the next 2 hours.