'Titli' turns into very severe cyclonic storm, to make landfall tomorrow

Bhubaneswar, Oct 10:Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik held a high-level meeting over Cyclone 'Titli' in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday.

CM has asked collectors of Ganjam, Puri, Khurda, Kendrapara and Jagtsinghpur districts to go for an immediate evacuation. District administration of Ganjam has begun the process of evacuation in Gopalpur area where the cyclone is likely to make a landfall at 5.30 am tomorrow (Oct 11). So far, 1,000 people have been shifted to a safer place.

Meteorological Center Bhubaneswar has issued heavy rainfall warning for next three days in the state of Odisha in the light of cyclonic storm Titli.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated that severe Cyclonic Storm Titli has formed over west-central Bay of Bengal. Cyclone Warning for districts of north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha coasts: Red Message. Very Severe Cyclonic Storm, 'LUBAN' over westcentral Arabian Sea.

The Cyclonic Storm 'TITLI' over west-central Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of about 10 kmph during past 06 hours, intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and lay cantered at 0530 hrs IST of today, the 10th October 2018 over West-central Bay of Bengal near latitude 16.0°N and longitude 85.8°E, about 370 km south-southeast of Gopalpur (Odisha) and 310 km southeast of Kalingapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).

It is very likely to intensify further into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm during next 18 hours. It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and cross Odisha and adjoining north Andhra Pradesh coasts between Gopalpur and Kalingapatnam around the morning of 11th October.

Thereafter, it is very likely to re-curve northeastwards, move towards Gangetic West Bengal across Odisha and weaken gradually.