Cyclone Gulab: These districts in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh to be affected

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that a cyclonic storm, named Gulab, is likely to make landfall on Sunday evening in the coastal regions of southern Odisha and northern Andhra Pradesh and has issued an orange alert. "It is likely to intensify into a Cyclonic Storm during the next 12 hours and move nearly westwards and cross north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha coasts between Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur, in around Kalingapatnam, by the evening of 26th September, 2021," an IMD bulletin said on Sunday.

An 'orange' alert is issued as a warning of extremely bad weather with the potential of disruption in commute with road and rail closures and interruption of power supply.

The IMD predicted light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places over south Odisha and north coastal Andhra Pradesh. It said that heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places is also likely over Telangana and predicted heavy rainfall at isolated places over north interior Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

The Met department further predicted light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places over south Chhattisgarh on Monday. Heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over Odisha, Telangana and Vidarbha and heavy rainfall at isolated places over coastal West Bengal and North Chhattisgarh, the IMD said.

“Squally wind speed reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph likely to prevail along and off Odisha-North Andhra Pradesh coasts. It will gradually increase becoming gale wind speed reaching 75-85 kmph gusting to 95 kmph from afternoon of 26th till midnight along & off north Andhra Pradesh (Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam Districts) and south Odisha coasts (Ganjam, Gajapati Districts), 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph along & off Khordha,Puri, Raigada & Koraput districts, 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph over Navrangpur & Malkangiri districts of Odisha,” the weather department said in its bulletin.

Collectors of the seven districts in Odisha have been asked to be prepared as there are chances of squally winds, waterlogging in low-lying areas and flash floods in hilly areas. “We have put collectors of seven districts — Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Kandhamal and Malkangiri — on high alert, in view of the possible cyclone, as these districts are likely to experience heavy rainfall activities,” special relief commissioner (SRC) PK Jena said according to news agency PTI.

Director of IMD Bhubaneswar, HR Biswas told news agency ANI, "Malkangiri, Nowrangpur, Koraput, Puri, Kalahandi and neighbouring districts will receive heavy to very heavy rainfall activity. Wind warnings have mainly been issued to Ganjam and Gajapati districts along the coast".

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy held a review meeting on Saturday on preparedness in the wake of the IMD's cyclone alert and directed officials to take all necessary steps. Officials informed Reddy that they have alerted district collectors and suggested taking all necessary steps. They said control rooms have been set up village secretariat-wise and added that they have readied disaster management staff in Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam districts.

A tidal wave of about 0.5 m height above the astronomical tide is likely to inundate low lying areas of Srikakulam, Sompeta, Vizianagaram, Ganjam districts during the time of landfall, the weather department said.