Andhra Pradesh, Odisha Brace for Cyclone Hudhud

NEW DELHI: Authorities in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh have stepped up preparations to evacuate people from coastal areas and meet any eventuality as an approaching cyclone gained intensity. Hudhud is forecast to pack winds with speed of 130-140 kilometres per hour gusting to 155 kmph, when it makes landfall on Sunday.

Two teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), each comprising 1,150 personnel, are on way to the coastal areas of the two states. The Central government has put armed forces on standby to help in any rescue or relief operations.

Hudhud would cross the coast of north Andhra Pradesh around Visakhapatnam by Sunday forenoon, the India Meteorological Department said in a news release. The cyclone would also bring heavy rains as well as storm surge of up to 12 metres around its centre at the time of landfall, the department said.

Four districts of Odisha – Khurda, Puri, Ganjam and Gajapati – and Andhra Pradesh’s Vishakapatnam, Srikakulam and Vizianagaram are likely to be impacted. The same areas were hit exactly a year earlier by Phailin, the strongest cyclone to make landfall in India in more than a decade. While steps by the authorities to move people to safer places had kept loss of life minimal, Phailin had caused large-scale damage to crops.

Squally wind, with speed reaching 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph, would commence along and off north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha coasts Saturday, the met department said. By Sunday morning, very heavy rainfall would occur at a few places over coastal Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, it said. Heavy rainfall would occur also at isolated places over Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand and Telangana.

The strong winds could disrupt electricity and telecommunications services as well as and road and rail traffic, the met department said. It also warned of flooding.

The Indian Air Force has kept transport aircraft IL-76, C-17 and AN-32 as well as helicopters ready to deploy if required. The army and navy have also kept their personnel in standby mode to join any relief and rescue operations.

The Indian Coast Guard has deployed 17 ships, two air cushion vessels and nine aircraft in the eastern and northeastern regions.