Cyclone Roanu likely to move towards AP, Odisha

The deep depression over westcentral and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal further moved nearly northwards and intensified into a cyclonic storm ‘ROANU’. The storm lay centred over west central Bay of Bengal at about 125km south-southeast of Machilipatnam, about and 350 southwest of Visakhapatnam and 225 km southwest of Kakinada.

The system is likely to move north-northeastwards along and off Andhra Pradesh coast during next 24 hrs and intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm. It is likely to move northeastwards along and off north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha during next 48 hours.

Rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at a few places and isolated extremely heavy falls is likely over coastal Andhra Pradesh during next 48 hours. Rainfall at many places with heavy to very heavy falls at a few places is also likely over coastal Odisha during the same period.

style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">Wind speed reaching 90-100 gusting to 110 kmph is very likely to prevail along and off North Andhra Pradesh coasts during next 12 hours and speed reaching 100-110 gusting to 120 kmph during 36 hours. Fishermen are advised not to venture into sea along and off Andhra Pradesh coast during next 48 hours, along and off North Tamil Nadu coast during next 24 hours and along and off Odisha coast from tonight.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu today held a teleconference and took stock of the situation with all the coastal district collectors on the preparedness for the impending cyclone and heavy rains. He instructed them to be prepared to face any eventuality taking all measures to mobilise people from the low lying and vulnerable areas by arranging vehicles into shelters providing them food, milk and water besides setting up medical camps. NDRF teams have been deployed in low lying areas and boats kept ready to rescue people in the event of flooding.