Cyclone Jawad to turn into Deep Depression ahead of landfall, says IMD chief

Bhubaneswar: The cyclonic storm ‘Jawad’ formed over west-central Bay of Bengal most likely will turn into a Deep Depression tonight prior to nearing Puri coast December 5 (Sunday), India Meteorological Department chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra informed Saturday.

“The cyclonic storm Jawad has recurved northwards since Saturday morning and it is likely to lose its intensity before hitting the Puri coast and turn into a Deep Depression instead of cyclonic storm as predicted earlier,” IMD director general Mohapatra said.

Also read: IMD issues advisory for Bhubaneswar-Cuttack twin cities

The agency has also revised its previous predictions as far as wind speed is concerned. “Wind speed is likely to stay below 50 to 60 km/ph gusting to 70 km/ph. Rainfall activities will increase gradually from Saturday evening and some parts of the coastal Odisha may receive very heavy rain,” Mohapatra informed.

Meanwhile, taking to Twitter, Odisha Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Pradeep Kumar Jena said, “Cyclone Jawad may weaken by the time it reaches Puri coast by turning into a Deep Depression.”

Notably, the cyclonic storm moved slightly northwards with a speed of 4 km/ph during past six hours and lay centered at Latitude 16.2°N and Longitude 84.9°E, as of 5:30 AM Saturday. It is about 230 kilometre southeast of Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh; 340 kilometre south of Gopalpur, 410 kilometre south-southwest of Puri and 490 kilometre south-southwest of Paradip in Odisha, Jena informed.

PNN