Cyclonic storm to hit state Saturday morning

Bhubaneswar: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Tuesday said the low pressure area formed over South Thailand would convert into a cyclonic storm by December 3 and cross the Odisha and Andhra coast by December 4 morning.

In a special bulletin, the Met office said the low pressure area, which now lies over South Thailand and its neighbourhood, is likely to move west northwestward and concentrate into a depression by December 2 and further intensify into a cyclonic storm over central Bay of Bengal in next 24 hours.

It is likely to move northwestwards, intensify further and reach north Andhra and Odisha coasts by the morning of December 4.

Under its influence, rainfall activities will commence from the evening of December 3 and heavy to very heavy rain with extremely heavy rain is likely during December 4 and 5 over coastal and interior Odisha.

The weather office said heavy rainfall is likely to occur at isolated places over Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri and Jagatsinghpur December 3 and issued a yellow warning for these districts.

It predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places over Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jajpur with extremely heavy rain at one or two places over Ganjam, Puri and Jagatsinghpur and issued orange warning for these districts for December 4.

The Met office has already sounded orange warning for Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Jaipur, Cuttack, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal and Mayurbhanj districts for December 5 next.

Farmers were advised to shift their harvest to safer places and postpone sowing of rabi crops.

The Met office predicts squally wind speed reaching 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph over southeast and adjoining east central Bay of Bengal, December 2.

Gale with speed reaching 65-75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph is likely to prevail over central Bay of Bengal from early morning of December 3 and gradually increasing to 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph over northwest and adjoining west central Bay of Bengal from the morning of December 4 for the subsequent 24 hours.

Squally wind speed reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph is likely to commence along and off north Andhra – Odisha coast from the midnight of December 3 and increase gradually to 70-80 kmph with gusting to 90 kmph from December 4 afternoon for subsequent 12 hours, the IMD said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has reviewed the preparedness to tackle the possible cyclone with senior officials. He asked the agriculture department to take all possible measures to protect harvested paddy of farmers.

PNN