IMD issues Cyclone warning for Odisha, alert in 18 districts, govt keeping 'close watch'- Key updates

New Delhi: The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday has issued an alert on the possibility of a cyclone on the Odisha coast in the coming week. Urging the public to not panic, an IMD scientist stated that a low-pressure area may be formed in the South Andaman sea and its neighbourhood around May 6.

The low-pressure area will move in the northwest which will further intensify into a deep depression after 48 hrs, i.e., on May 8.

THUNDERSTORM WITH LIGHTENING AND GUSTY SURFACE WIND SPEED REACHING 30- #40KMPH LIKELY OCCUR OVER SOME PARTS OF DISTRICTS OF BHADRAK, JAJPUR, KANDHAMAL, CUTTACK , NAYAGARH, KHORDA (INCLUDING BHUBANESWAR), GANJAM, GAJAPATI, NAWARANGPUR, KALAHANDI, DEOGARH DURING NEXT 3HRS pic.twitter.com/nGM98Ww5qX — Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar (@mcbbsr) May 5, 2022

“Cyclonic circulation yesterday around Andaman sea will repeat tomorrow and move towards the north-west. The system is very likely to intensify into a depression in the next 48 hours and move in the north-westward direction,” Umashankar Das, Senior Scientist, IMD  told ANI.

Meanwhile, the state government has reviewed the preparedness for the cyclone. Here is the latest update on the developing Odisha cyclone

• Odisha has asked collectors of 18 districts to be prepared for a possible cyclone coming in from the Bay of Bengal. The districts are Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada and Kandhamal.
• The IMD has informed the Odisha government that a low-pressure area is likely to form over South Andaman Sea and its neighbourhood by Friday under the influence of cyclonic circulation.
• The IMD also indicted that conditions are favourable for the formation of a storm next week.
• All safe shelter buildings, permanent or temporary, should be geo-tagged and a team comprising three local officials - two male and one woman such as ASHA workers, lady teachers, lady constables and home guards should be put in charge of each of them, he instructed.
• The SRC said that satellite phones and digital mobile radio communication systems have been established in six coastal districts under the Early Warning Dissemination System for use in the event of a cyclone.
• The advisory also said that as the power supply is usually cut off during the peak period of the cyclone, all offices should make their backup power arrangement for that period.