Cyclone Hudhud alert for Andhra Pradesh, south Odisha, landfall on Oct 12

Odisha, Oct 8: Confirming the formation of Cyclonic storm 'Hud Hud' over north Andaman Sea, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a cyclone alert for the north coastal Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha on Wednesday. The IMD has also said that the cyclone will make landfall between Gopalpur in Odisha and Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh on October 12.

"The deep depression over north Andaman Sea & neighbourhood moved west-northwestward, intensified into a Cyclonic Storm ‘HUD HUD' and lay centered at 08:30 am IST on October 08 over north Andaman Sea near latitude 12.3ºN and longitude 92.9ºE, close to Long Island," the IMD was quoted as saying in a Zee report.

"It is now crossing Andaman & Nicobar Islands close to Long Island. Thereafter, the system would continue to move west-northwestwards, intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during next 24 hours and subsequently into a very severe cyclonic storm during subsequent 36 hours. The system would cross north coastal Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha coast between Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur around noon of October 12," the IMD bulletin said.

As per a Hindu report, "It will have crossed the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and stepped out into the open waters of the Bay of Bengal from where it would head straight to the Odisha and Andhra Pradesh coasts.

It will have enough time and space to ramp up into a severe cyclone, or even a very severe one, according to international models."

A bulletin issued by the IMD had earlier said, "Yesterday's low pressure area over Tenasserim Coast and adjoining Andaman Sea has concentrated into a depression and lay centred at 0830 hours over North Andaman Sea and neighbourhood near latitude 11.50 degree N and longitude 95.00 degree E about 1380 Km southeast of Gopalpur."

"It would move in a west-northwesterly direction and intensify into a deep depression within 24 hours and further intensify into a cyclonic storm thereafter," the bulletin said.

The MET office also forecast rain or thundershower at one or two places over Odisha during the next 24 hours.

"As the system is more than 1300 km from the state coast, we have not issued any warning for fishermen. However, authorities of Paradip and Gopalpur ports are advised to hoist distant cautionary signal number one," said IMD, Bhubaneswar director S C Sahoo.

CM Patnaik says government prepared

With IMD making such predictions, it seems the state government has readied itself for the coming situations. The Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the state government is fully prepared for the possible eventuality.

"The government is prepared for the possible cyclonic storm," Patnaik said on his return from New Delhi.

"We have asked the collectors of 16 districts to remain alert to the possible cyclone and told collectors of 14 other districts to remain vigilant to the emerging situation," said Deputy Special Relief Commissioner Pravat Ranjan Momahaptra.

The district authorities were also asked to ensure that all government employees remain present at their places of posting.

"The collectors have been told to cancel the leave of all the employees," Mohapatra said, adding Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and fire service personnel have been told to be ready for any eventuality.

Apart from Koraput and Malkangiri, 14 other districts were last year hit by cyclone Phailin, Mohapatra said.

"We have asked district collectors to procure dry food locally. Besides, we have alerted some dealers in Chhattisgharh and West Bengal to keep ready some dry food if required," said food and supplies secretary M S Padhi.
The districts which have been alerted are Balasore, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Ganjam, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Cuttack, Khurdha, Nayagarh, Gajapati, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Malkangiri and Koraput districts, Mohapatra said.

"We are fully prepared for the possible cyclone. There are 12 teams of which one each is already deployed in Balasore and Puri districts," said NDRF commandant MK Yadav.

He also said the teams are ready to go to field at any time.

(With inputs from agencies)

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