Cyclone Gulab: IMD issues red alert for Odisha, Andhra ahead of landfall

Rainfall activity started in Odisha’s southern and coastal regions on Sunday morning in the wake of Cyclone 'Gulab’, which is likely to make landfall between Gopalpur and Kalingapatanam in Andhra Pradesh around midnight.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday issued a red alert for Cyclone 'Gulab' for south Odisha and north coastal Andhra Pradesh ahead of its landfall. “It is likely to move nearly westwards and cross north Andhra Pradesh-south Odisha coasts… with maximum sustained wind speed of 75-85kmph gusting to 95kmph, around midnight of today. The landfall process will commence from late evening of Sunday,” the IMD said, while issuing a ‘Red Message’ (extreme rain).

The Odisha government has already mobilised men and machinery and launched an evacuation drive in seven identified districts in the southern parts of the state. (File Photo)

'"Cyclone Gulab' is currently located 180 km southeast of Gopalpur. Most likely it will make landfall from late evening to midnight, between Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Gopalpur in Odisha, " Special Relief Commissioner PK Jena told media.

Meanwhile, rainfall activity started in Odisha’s southern and coastal regions on Sunday morning in the wake of Cyclone 'Gulab’, which is likely to make landfall between Gopalpur and Kalingapatanam in Andhra Pradesh around midnight. The cyclone lay centred about 140km east-southeast of Gopalpur and 190km east-northeast of Kalingapatnam, the IMD said. “The landfall is expected late evening/night,” IMD senior scientist RK Jenamani told ANI.

The Odisha government has already mobilised men and machinery and launched an evacuation drive in seven identified districts in the southern parts of the state. As many as 42 teams of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and 24 squads of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), along with about 102 teams of fire brigade personnel, have been dispatched to the seven districts — Gajapati, Ganjam, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur and Kandhamal, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) PK Jena said, reports news agency PTI.

Jena said that Ganjam is expected to be severely affected by the cyclonic storm and 15 rescue teams have been deployed in that area alone. Besides, 11 fire service units, six teams of the ODRAF and eight of the NDRF are on standby for emergency purposes, he added.

Over the next three days, the sea condition will be rough to very rough and fishermen in Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh have been asked to not venture into east-central and adjoining northeast Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.