Cyclone Phailin only 90 km from Gopalpur, moving at 20 kmph

BHUBANESWAR: The strongest cyclonic storm to hit Odisha in 14 years with a wind speed of between 210 kmph to 230 kmph is just 90 km from Gopalpur in Odisha's Ganjam where it is expected to make landfall between 6:00 pm and 8:00 this evening, the IMD said.

Stating that the cyclonic storm was moving at 20 kmph, the IMD said "The system will cross close to Gopalpur between 6 and 8 pm with a speed of 210 kmph to 220 kmph gusting to 230 kmph."

The IMD forecast a storm surge with a height of 3.0 metre 3.5 metre in Ganjam, Puri, Khurda and Jagatsinghpur districts.

The Great Danger Signal 10 has been hoisted at Gopalpur and Puri and Great Danger Signal 9 at Paradip and Chandbali ports, IMD sources said.

The IMD said that even after landfall, the storm is likely to maintain the intensity of a very severe cyclonic storm for six hours, before gradually weakening into a cyclonic storm in the next six hours while moving northwestwards across interior Odisha.

The IMD favoured total suspension of rail and road traffic in vulnerable areas, besides fishing.