'Phailin' to intensify into severe cyclonic storm in 24 hours

Cyclone 'Phailin' which was to make landfall two days from now, possibly near Gopalpur in Odisha and in north Andhra Pradesh, on Friday, intensified into a severe cyclonic storm travelling slightly northwest and lying about 800 km from Paradip in Odisha.

The storm, 870 km from Kalingapatnam and 900 km from Visakhapatnam, would intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm in the next 24 hours, the latest IMD bulletin said.

It would continue to move northwestwards and make landfall by the evening of October 12 with a wind speed of 175-185 kmph close to Gopalpur in Odisha and between Kalingapatnam and Paradip, Director of IMD, Bhubaneswar, Sarat Sahu said.

Squally winds speed reaching 45-55 kmph to 65 kmph would hit Odisha and north Andhra Pradesh on Saturday morning, he said.

It would increase in intensity with wind speeds of a gale reaching 175-185 kmph along and off coastal districts of south Odisha and north Andhra Pradesh at the time of landfall, Sahu said.

The sea along and off Odisha and north Andhra Pradesh coast would be rough to very rough from tomorrow and would become 'phenomenal' on October 12, he said.

"Storm surge with height of around 1.5 to 2.0 meter above astronomical tide would inundate low lying areas of Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts of Odisha and Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh during landfall," Sahu said.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who cancelled a trip to Delhi wrote to Union Defence Minister A K Antony seeking support from defence personnel, particularly the Air Force and Navy, for rescue and relief operations.

A copy of the letter was given to the Home Minister.

"We are fully prepared to face the eventuality," Patnaik told reporters, adding, that the state government was evaluating the situation regularly.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister S N Patro said the government cancelled puja holidays of its employees in all the 30 districts.

Patro appealed to people not to panic as the state government has taken all precautionary measures.

All District Collectors have been provided satellite phones so that they could remain in touch with the government.