Cyclone to hit Odisha and Andhra Pradesh coast tonight

BHUBANESWAR/NEW DELHI: A cyclone will hit the coasts of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh on late Thursday night, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.nnA deep depression is moving at a speed of about 12 kmph and is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm in the next 12 hours, the cyclone warning division of IMD said in the evening on Thursday.nnThe depression, which was initially over west-central Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas, moved westward and intensified into a deep depression, IMD said in a bulletin, adding thatnnthe depression lay centred at about 300 km east-southeast of Gopalpur in Odisha.nn”It (the depression) is very likely to move west-northwestwards. It will cross south Odisha north Andhra Pradesh coasts between Kalingapatnam and Puri (Odisha) close to Gopalpur around midnight as a cyclonic storm with wind speeds of 60 kmph to 70 kmph, gusting to 80 kmph,” Mritunjay Mohapatra, Additional Director General of the IMD, said.nnThe CWD’s advisory said the sea will be very rough over central and north Bay of Bengal and off the Odisha, West Bengal and north Andhra Pradesh coasts.nnThere will also be a storm surge of about 0.5 metres above astronomical tides and it is likely to inundate low lying areas of districts of Vizianagaram, Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesha and Gajapati, Ganjam, Khurda and Puri districts in Odisha at the time of landfall.nnWhile heavy rainfall lashed several parts of Odisha since Wednesday, rain and thundershower are likely to occur in the next 48 hours and it will ease thereafter, the IMD said.nnThe depression caused heavy rainfall in Balasore, Bhadrak, Puri, Ganjam, Khordha, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Kendrapara and Jajpur districts on Thursday, a MeT official said.nnUnder the depression’s impact, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur at some places in Rayagada, Kalahandi, Koraput and Nabarangpur districts till Friday, an IMD bulletin said.nnThe low pressure system is also likely to trigger heavy to very heavy rainfall in districts like Balangir, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj on Friday, the MeT centre here said.nnIn view of adverse weather conditions, the MeT office advised suspension of fishing operations and asked fishermen not to venture into the sea till Friday.nnMeanwhile, danger signal no-3 has been hoisted in all ports of Odisha.nnSpecial Relief Commissioner B P Sethi has already asked all concerned to remain alert, closely monitor the situation and keep the administrative machinery in full preparedness to meet any eventuality and ensure functioning of control room round-the-clock.