India?s strongest April cyclone in 43 years: Storm Fani intensifies into very severe cyclonic storm; Cyclone Alert for Odisha, West Bengal & Srikakulam and Vijayanagaram Districts of Andhra Pradesh Co

The Met Department has said that the severe Cyclonic storm Fani in the Bay of Bengal intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm in the last six hours. It is likely to cross Odisha coast around Friday afternoon.

Fani is the first severe, cyclonic storm to have formed in April in India’s oceanic neighbourhood since 1976, according to records from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

“The Very Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘FANI’ (pronounced as ‘FONI’) over Southeast & adjoining Southwest Bay of Bengal moved northwestwards with a speed of about 22 kmph in last six hours and lay centred at 1130 hrs IST of 30th April, 2019 over Southwest Bay & adjoining Southeast of Bengal near latitude 12.6°N and longitude 85.7°E, about 800 km south of Puri (Odisha) and 620 km south-southeast of Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and about 660 km north-northeast of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka). It is very likely to intensify further into an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm during next 12 hours. It is very likely to move northwestwards till 01st May evening and thereafter recurve north-northeastwards and cross Odisha Coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali, to the south of Puri around 3rd May afternoon with maximum sustained wind of speed 175-185 kmph gusting to 205 kmph,” the Ministry of Earth Science said in a press release.

The Bhubaneswar Met centre said under the impact of the cyclonic storm, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur in the districts of Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Khordha, Rayagada and Kandhamal districts tomorrow.

It also said heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is likely to occur in the coastal areas and some isolated places including southern districts Sambalpur, Deoghar, and Kalahandi on Friday.

Odisha Chief Secretary Aditya Padhi who reviewed the cyclone preparedness in a high-level meeting at Bhubaneswar yesterday said as many as 879 cyclone shelters have been kept ready for sheltering the evacuated people; adding that 28 NDRF, 20 ODRAF teams, and fire services are positioned for the emergency situation.

The Odisha government has sought two helicopters and additional NDRF teams from Centre for the evacuation of affected people to safety.

According to the Cyclone Warning Center, Visakhapatnam, the wind speed will increase tomorrow and day after tomorrow in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam Districts of Andhra Pradesh.

The sea condition is very likely to be very rough to high along and off North Coastal Andhra Pradesh from today until Friday. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea. (With inputs from AIR)