The deep depression in the Bay of Bengal intensified into Cyclone Jawad on Friday afternoon, according to the Indian Meteorological Department. IMD director general Mrutunjay Mohapatra told a media briefing that the present wind speed of the cyclonic storm, currently about 420 km south-southeast of Vishakhapatnam, is between 60-70 kmph gusting ton 80 kmph.
Mohapatra said that Cyclone Jawad is moving north-northwest and is expected to change the route and make landfall near Odisha's Puri on Sunday noon. By Saturday morning, Cyclone Jawad is likely to reach the west-central Bay of Bengal off North Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coast, the area which is expected to witness the maximum impact.
IMD has suggested a total suspension of fishing operations and urged people in affected areas to remain indoors. The Met department said that there must be regulated traffic in the cyclone area and movement should be restricted.
Warnings related to heavy rainfall forecast and high wind speed has been issued for Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Gangetic plains of West Bengal.
Cyclone Jawad likely to hit Andhra, Odisha coastline on Saturday
The IMD has predicted heavy fall in isolated places in north coastal Andhra Pradesh and south coastal Odisha from Friday evening as Cyclone Jawad moves further towards the coast. North coast Andhra Pradesh including Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam and Vizianagaram is likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places.
{{/usCountry}}The IMD has predicted heavy fall in isolated places in north coastal Andhra Pradesh and south coastal Odisha from Friday evening as Cyclone Jawad moves further towards the coast. North coast Andhra Pradesh including Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam and Vizianagaram is likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places.
{{/usCountry}}The Met department has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places with isolated extremely heavy falls (more than 20 cm) over Odisha's Gajapati, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur districts on Saturday. Isolated places over north coastal Odisha are likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall on Sunday.
Cyclone Jawad could also bring heavy rainfall at isolated places over Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura from December 5-6.
Atul Karwal, director-general of the National Disaster Response Force, said that a total of 46 NDRF teams have been prepositioned in Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. He added that the Cabinet secretary will hold a meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee at 4 pm today to review the situation.