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BHUBANESWAR: Cyclone Phailin will move northwestwards and cross north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coast between Kalingapatnam and Paradip, close to Gopalpur (Odisha) by Saturday evening as a very severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 205-215 km per hour (kmph), the met department has said.
"The very severe cyclonic storm, Phailin, over east central Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 15 kmph and lay centred about 520km south-southeast of Paradip, 530km from Gopalpur and 530km east-southeast of Kalingapatnam," the met department said in its latest bulletin.
Squally winds speed reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph would commence along Odisha coast from Friday morning. It would increase in intensity with gale wind speed reaching 205-215 kmph along and off coastal districts of south Odisha at the time of landfall. State of the sea along and off Odisha coast will be rough to very rough from Friday morning and will become phenomenal on October 12.
The cyclonic storm, Phailin, over east central Bay of Bengal moved westwards and intensified further and lay centred at 230am on Friday near latitude 15.50N and longitude 89.000E, about 590km south-southeast of Paradip and 600km southeast of Gopalpur.
Similarly, though the met department forecast a storm surge of 1.5 metre to 2 metre in Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts in the coast on Thursday, on Friday it said the storm surge height will be around 2 metre to 2.5 metre above astronomical tide. This would inundate low lying areas of Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur in Odisha.
A worried state government held several meetings and took stock of the situation in the changed circumstances. The state government has already asked the district authorities to start evacuation of people living in low lying areas close to the sea.
With people in Bhubaneswar queuing up for panic buying of essential commodities, prices of potato jumped to Rs 30 per kg from Rs 12 a day before. Shops were charging higher rates for candles and flattened rice as well.
The state government has asked hoteliers in Puri to dissuade tourists from visiting the town for at least a week in the event of cyclone Phailin, likely to hit the state on Saturday.
Fearing high tide, the seaside hotels have been instructed to cancel their bookings. The possibility of a cyclone has prompted the twin city commensurate police to ***** safety measures at large puja mandaps and tableaux made of bamboo, wood and other heavy materials.
Cyclone Phailin set to hit Odisha at a wind speed of 205 kmph tomorrow - The Times of India
5.00 pm: Odisha government targets zero casualties With IMD warning of storm surges of about 15 feet (3 meters) besides wind speed of about 220 kmph during landfall of cyclone Phailin tomorrow evening, Odisha government today set a target of “zero casualty” and ordered speedy evacuation of people in its seven coastal districts. “The Collectors of all seven districts like Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Jagatsingpur, Kendrapara, Nayagarh and Khurda have been directed to start evacuation and ensure 100 percent evacuation of people to cyclone and flood shelters and other safe places by today evening,” said Revenue and Disaster Management Minister S N Patro. The Collectors of Bhadrak and Balasore districts have also been alerted, the minister said. As at least 9885 persons were killed in the super cyclone of 1999, the state government was concerned about the safety of the people. “Our first priority is zero casualty,” Patro said. Patro directed the district authorities to ensure that relief teams would be ready with relief material and necessary means of transportation. “Fuel like diesel, kerosene, LPG should be kept reserved in the district and block locations,” Patro said. Chief Secretary J K Mohapatra said the government has also directed opening of free kitchens from this evening for the people who would be evacuated to safe shelters. “Dry food should be kept reserved for the next day,” Mohapatra said, adding that the teams for clearing of roads must be kept ready with all required equipment. “They (road clearing team) must be visible on roads just after the cyclone passes away and they should clear the roads within 12 hours of cyclone,” Mohapatra said in his directive. NHAI authorities have also been mobilized for clearing of National Highways, officials said, adding that police forces have also been been asked to strengthen patrolling on highways to ensure smooth passage of vehicles carrying relief materials. 4.32 pm: All fishing activities suspended as cyclone Phailin bears down The Indian Met department has suspended all fishing activities as cyclone Phailin is expected to make landfall in Odisha in less than 12 hours, packing speeds of upto 220 kmph. The department has also asked for the regulation of rail and road traffic. Emergency forces are on standby and mass evacuations are already underway along the coastal belts of all 14 coastal districts. 4.13 pm: Met department confirms strength of cyclone Phailin The Met department has confirmed that cyclone Phailin will have wind speeds between 220 and 240 kmph and that it would make landfall by tomorrow evening. Addressing the media, MeT department official SS Rathore said that there would be widespread heavy rainfall. “After the cyclone crossing the coast on the evening it will weaken but will cause heavy rainfall in interior parts of eastern India – North Chhattisgarh and south Jharkhand where heavy rainfall is also expected.
3.41 pm: 28 NDRF teams deployed in Odisha, Andhra Surjeet Singh Guleria, DIG of NDRF, has said 28 teams have been deployed in the area and they will be playing a major role in rescue operations. “Twenty teams have already been deployed here and eight teams are at the airport. They will be deployed in highly vulnerable areas,” he said, adding that they will also play a role in evacuating the area. 3.32 pm: Fearing fuel shortage, people queue up at petrol pumps People have queued up at petrol pumps before the cyclone hits, to stock up on fuel. CNN-IBN reports that there are 1 km long queues at petrol stations fearing a shortage of fuel. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has gone ahead and issued a warning against any kind of hoarding of basic commodities. 3.05 pm: Cyclone Phailin as large as hurricane Katrina? Cyclone Phailin could be equivalent to hurricane Katrina in size, a report in The Washington Post has said. “Based on satellite estimates, maximum sustained winds are now easily around 160 mph (140 knots),” Ryan Maue, a meteorologist at WeatherBell.com, told The Washington Post, adding that the wind speeds would make it the equivalent of a category 5 hurricane.
2.51 pm: Gear up to face cyclone Phailin, Antony tells armed forces Defence Minister AK Antony today asked the armed forces to be ready to move in to Odisha and Andhra Pradesh in view of the impending severe cyclonic storm Phailin. Two IAF IL-76 aircraft have already airlifted NDRF teams and equipment to Bhubaneshwar. IAF assets have been kept on stand by at various bases including Raipur, Nagpur, Jagdalpur, Barrackpore, Ranchi and Gwalior. It has also kept two C130J aircraft, 18 helicopters, 2 AN-32s aircraft on a standby to move at a short notice besides asking its Eastern Air Command to coordinate relief operation with the task force positioned at Barrackpore. 2.21 pm: Phailin a category 4 cyclonic storm, says London organisation While the Indian Met department has not yet categorised Phailin as a super cyclone, it has been categorised as a category 4 cyclonic storm on a scale of 1 to 5 by London-based storm tracking service Tropical Storm Risk. In 1999 a Category 5 storm killed at least 10,000 people in the region. Heavy rains will lash the coast of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh this evening, and will move to the internal parts of the state by Saturday evening. 1.27 pm: Don’t panic, emergency services in place, says Patnaik Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has requested people not to panic saying required emergency services are in place. “I’d request everyone to not panic.. Please assist the government. Everyone from the block to the state HQ have been put on alert. The Navy and the Air Force have been informed and they will help with relief operations,” Patnaik said. 1.10 pm: Evacuation process begins in Andhra, Odisha At least 64,000 people residing in the north coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh will be moved to cyclone shelters by this evening, Andhra Pradesh government officials have told Headlines Today. According to journalist TS Sudhir, Andhra Pradesh has over 1,000 cyclone shelters of which 850 are functional, while Odisha has 750. 12.39 pm: Heavy rainfall to hit Odisha, Andhra coast by evening Rainfall in coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha will increase from tonight with strong winds of 200-220 kmph. The rains will extend to the internal areas of Odisha by Saturday night. Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts of Odisha and Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh wil be the most affected areas. Director of Cyclone Centre M Mahapatra also said that the cyclone has not yet been classified as a super cyclone but it was severe in nature. 12.11 pm: Cyclone could damage crops, disrupt power lines, warns Met Dept In a bulletin issued this morning, the IMD has said the cyclone could cause damage to houses as well public infrastructure. The report said there could be some damage to old buildings, while large scale disruption of power and communication lines. Disruption of rail and road traffic due to extensive flooding as well as flooding of escape routes could take place. It also warned of extensive damage to agricultural crops. 11.21 am: Odisha, AP on high alert as cyclone Phailin intensifies into a super storm Cyclone Phailin has intensified into a super storm with wind speeds likely to hit over 215 km/hr. The Met Department today issued an alert stating that the storm surge with a height of around 2.5-3.0 m above astronomical tide would inundate low lying areas of Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts of Odisha and Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh during landfall. Andhra government employees, who are currently on strike, have announced that they would take part in rescue and relief measures for the cyclonic storm.
10.53 am: Will forcefully evacuate people if necessary, says Odisha govt The Odisha government is bracing up for super cyclone Phailin with the armed forces being put on standy. Special Relief Commissioner PK Mahapatra has said the government will do its best to ensure there is zero human casualty. “Our first concern is zero human casualties.. no one will be allowed to stay in any kachha house.. anyone who stays back will be forcefully evacuated,” Mahapatra said. In Andhra Pradesh, Disaster Management Commissioner T Radha has said the government is geared up to face the cyclone. “We have been stocking essential commodities in advance.. once the cyclone crosses we expect 20 villages to be cut off.. so we are making necessary arrangements,” he said. Andhra Pradesh has set up a round-the-clock control room in the Secretariat. The control room numbers are: 040-23456005/23451043 and Fax- 040-23451819. Odisha: 0674-2534177. District control room number: Mayurbhanj 06792-252759, Jajpur 06728-222648, Gajapati 06815-222943, Dhenkanal 06762-221376, Khurda 06755-220002, Keonjhar 06766-255437 and Cuttak 0671-2507842, Ganjam 06811-263978, Puri 06752-223237, Kendrapara 06727-232803, Jagatsinghpur 06724-220368, Balasore 06782-262674, Bhadrak 06784-251881. 10.46 am: Andhra puts 6 districts on high alert, defence forces on standby Andhra Pradesh Disaster Management Commissioner T Radha has said that six districts in the state have been put on high alert. “The CM held a meeting with the Army and Navy, they are on standby incase of an emergency,” he said. 10.42 am: Odisha cancels Durga puja festivities as ‘super cyclone’ Phailin intensifies All Durga puja activities in Odisha have been cancelled as the state prepares for ‘Super cyclone’ which could be the worst since 1999 when 10,000 people died. The Air Force, Navy and national disaster management team are already on stand-by while the rapid action force has deployed its forces on the ground. People in the low lying areas of the state will be evacuated by tomorrow evening. At least a lakh food packets have already been prepared for air dropping if need be. The cyclone is moving northwest at a speed of 175-188 km/h and is likely to hit Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur in Odisha. The Met Department has also issued a warning that the speed could touch 215 km/hr by Saturday evening. 10. 31 am: Met department suspends fishing as cyclone Phailin intensifies The Met office in Hyderabad has recommended the total suspension of fishing operations, and has asked for judicious regulation of rail and road traffic from today, when the cyclone would be at a distance of 500 km from the coast. 10.25 am: Shift people from low-lying areas if necessary, Andhra CM tells authorities In Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy held a review meeting with senior officials directing them to take all precautionary measures in coastal districts. Revenue Minister N Raghuveera Reddy and Chief Secretary P K Mohanty attended the meeting. People from low-lying areas were instructed to be shifted as and when necessary to safer places, an official release had said. 10.07 am: Odisha seeks support from defence forces as cyclone Phailin intensifies Odisha government has urged the Centre to issue standing instructions to the defence forces to extend help as cyclone Phailin may hit the state on Saturday. “Our past experience indicates that despite preparedness by the state government, a severe cyclonic storm requires support of the defence forces to mitigate the effect of extreme weather,” Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote in a letter to Defence Minister AK Antony. Twenty three districts of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh are likely to be hit by cyclone Phailin within the next 24 hours as authorities brace themselves for what the met department defines as ’most severe’ cyclonic storm. Phailin is expected to cross the coast between Kalingapatnam and Paradip by Saturday evening.
In Andhra Pradesh, north coastal districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam are likely to experience very heavy rain from this evening while other coastal districts would also receive heavy rainfall. Andhra Pradesh has set up a round-the-clock control Room in the Secretariat. Telephone numbers: 040-23456005/23451043 and Fax- 040-23451819.
Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/india/live...ours-away-1165983.html?utm_source=ref_article
Over the last day, a cyclone over the Bay of Bengal has explosively strengthened as it marches towards the east coast of India, presenting a clear and present danger to the country of over a billion people.
In the last 18 hours, Phailin’s peak winds have increased an astonishing 80 mph (or 70 knots), a rare rate of intensification.
“Based on satellite estimates, maximum sustained winds are now easily around 160 mph (140 knots),” says Ryan Maue, a meteorologist at WeatherBell.com, a private forecasting services company.
Those wind speeds would make Phailin the equivalent of a category 5 hurricane, capable of catastrophic damage.
Phailin is not only intense, but also large.
“It’s equivalent to Katrina in size,” Maue says.
The storm is headed steadily northwest, on an unavoidable collision course with India’s east coast. Landfall is expected Saturday afternoon or evening local time (Saturday morning EDT), northeast of Visakhapatnam, on its current track provided by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Environmental conditions are ripe for the storm to maintain its strength if not intensify further.
Water temperatures are very warm and there is little hostile wind shear.
“Except for an eyewall replacement cycle, that’s the only thing that could stop it,” Maue says. “I don’t see any dry air. It’s outflow is nearly perfect. The ocean heat content all the way to the coast will be the same [as the content supporting its current strength] or even higher…”
Wunderground meteorologist Jeff Masters warns cyclones that form over the Bay of Bengal have a history of producing devastating cyclones.
“Twenty-six of the thirty-five deadliest tropical cyclones in world history have been Bay of Bengal storms,” Masters writes. “During the past two centuries, 42% of Earth’s tropical cyclone-associated deaths have occurred in Bangladesh, and 27% have occurred in India (Nicholls et al., 1995.)”
In 1999, the Odisha cyclone – taking a similar course to Phailin – made landfall as a category 4 cyclone with 155 mph sustained winds. The storm killed approximately 15,000 people. Many perished from the storm surge – the wall of water pushed ashore by Odisha’s winds – of up to 26 feet.
Storm surge, likewise, poses the biggest danger from Phailin due to the low lying terrain at the coast that could easily be inundated. The strength of Phailin’s winds and its mammoth size are likely to generate a massive surge.
“A worst case scenario would have Phailin tracking slightly eastward of its current forecasted track, toward Kolkata and the Ganges Delta of Bangladesh, which is home to tens of millions of people living just a few meters above sea level,” notes Qz.com meteorologist Eric Holthaus.
Preparations are underway.
“India began stocking shelters with rations, put disaster response teams on standby, and cancelled government employees’ holidays as a cyclone hurtled towards its southeastern coast on Thursday,” reports Reuters.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...atastrophic-cyclone-phailin-headed-for-india/
"The very severe cyclonic storm, Phailin, over east central Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 15 kmph and lay centred about 520km south-southeast of Paradip, 530km from Gopalpur and 530km east-southeast of Kalingapatnam," the met department said in its latest bulletin.
Squally winds speed reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph would commence along Odisha coast from Friday morning. It would increase in intensity with gale wind speed reaching 205-215 kmph along and off coastal districts of south Odisha at the time of landfall. State of the sea along and off Odisha coast will be rough to very rough from Friday morning and will become phenomenal on October 12.
The cyclonic storm, Phailin, over east central Bay of Bengal moved westwards and intensified further and lay centred at 230am on Friday near latitude 15.50N and longitude 89.000E, about 590km south-southeast of Paradip and 600km southeast of Gopalpur.
Similarly, though the met department forecast a storm surge of 1.5 metre to 2 metre in Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts in the coast on Thursday, on Friday it said the storm surge height will be around 2 metre to 2.5 metre above astronomical tide. This would inundate low lying areas of Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur in Odisha.
A worried state government held several meetings and took stock of the situation in the changed circumstances. The state government has already asked the district authorities to start evacuation of people living in low lying areas close to the sea.
With people in Bhubaneswar queuing up for panic buying of essential commodities, prices of potato jumped to Rs 30 per kg from Rs 12 a day before. Shops were charging higher rates for candles and flattened rice as well.
The state government has asked hoteliers in Puri to dissuade tourists from visiting the town for at least a week in the event of cyclone Phailin, likely to hit the state on Saturday.
Fearing high tide, the seaside hotels have been instructed to cancel their bookings. The possibility of a cyclone has prompted the twin city commensurate police to ***** safety measures at large puja mandaps and tableaux made of bamboo, wood and other heavy materials.
Cyclone Phailin set to hit Odisha at a wind speed of 205 kmph tomorrow - The Times of India
5.00 pm: Odisha government targets zero casualties With IMD warning of storm surges of about 15 feet (3 meters) besides wind speed of about 220 kmph during landfall of cyclone Phailin tomorrow evening, Odisha government today set a target of “zero casualty” and ordered speedy evacuation of people in its seven coastal districts. “The Collectors of all seven districts like Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Jagatsingpur, Kendrapara, Nayagarh and Khurda have been directed to start evacuation and ensure 100 percent evacuation of people to cyclone and flood shelters and other safe places by today evening,” said Revenue and Disaster Management Minister S N Patro. The Collectors of Bhadrak and Balasore districts have also been alerted, the minister said. As at least 9885 persons were killed in the super cyclone of 1999, the state government was concerned about the safety of the people. “Our first priority is zero casualty,” Patro said. Patro directed the district authorities to ensure that relief teams would be ready with relief material and necessary means of transportation. “Fuel like diesel, kerosene, LPG should be kept reserved in the district and block locations,” Patro said. Chief Secretary J K Mohapatra said the government has also directed opening of free kitchens from this evening for the people who would be evacuated to safe shelters. “Dry food should be kept reserved for the next day,” Mohapatra said, adding that the teams for clearing of roads must be kept ready with all required equipment. “They (road clearing team) must be visible on roads just after the cyclone passes away and they should clear the roads within 12 hours of cyclone,” Mohapatra said in his directive. NHAI authorities have also been mobilized for clearing of National Highways, officials said, adding that police forces have also been been asked to strengthen patrolling on highways to ensure smooth passage of vehicles carrying relief materials. 4.32 pm: All fishing activities suspended as cyclone Phailin bears down The Indian Met department has suspended all fishing activities as cyclone Phailin is expected to make landfall in Odisha in less than 12 hours, packing speeds of upto 220 kmph. The department has also asked for the regulation of rail and road traffic. Emergency forces are on standby and mass evacuations are already underway along the coastal belts of all 14 coastal districts. 4.13 pm: Met department confirms strength of cyclone Phailin The Met department has confirmed that cyclone Phailin will have wind speeds between 220 and 240 kmph and that it would make landfall by tomorrow evening. Addressing the media, MeT department official SS Rathore said that there would be widespread heavy rainfall. “After the cyclone crossing the coast on the evening it will weaken but will cause heavy rainfall in interior parts of eastern India – North Chhattisgarh and south Jharkhand where heavy rainfall is also expected.
3.41 pm: 28 NDRF teams deployed in Odisha, Andhra Surjeet Singh Guleria, DIG of NDRF, has said 28 teams have been deployed in the area and they will be playing a major role in rescue operations. “Twenty teams have already been deployed here and eight teams are at the airport. They will be deployed in highly vulnerable areas,” he said, adding that they will also play a role in evacuating the area. 3.32 pm: Fearing fuel shortage, people queue up at petrol pumps People have queued up at petrol pumps before the cyclone hits, to stock up on fuel. CNN-IBN reports that there are 1 km long queues at petrol stations fearing a shortage of fuel. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has gone ahead and issued a warning against any kind of hoarding of basic commodities. 3.05 pm: Cyclone Phailin as large as hurricane Katrina? Cyclone Phailin could be equivalent to hurricane Katrina in size, a report in The Washington Post has said. “Based on satellite estimates, maximum sustained winds are now easily around 160 mph (140 knots),” Ryan Maue, a meteorologist at WeatherBell.com, told The Washington Post, adding that the wind speeds would make it the equivalent of a category 5 hurricane.
2.51 pm: Gear up to face cyclone Phailin, Antony tells armed forces Defence Minister AK Antony today asked the armed forces to be ready to move in to Odisha and Andhra Pradesh in view of the impending severe cyclonic storm Phailin. Two IAF IL-76 aircraft have already airlifted NDRF teams and equipment to Bhubaneshwar. IAF assets have been kept on stand by at various bases including Raipur, Nagpur, Jagdalpur, Barrackpore, Ranchi and Gwalior. It has also kept two C130J aircraft, 18 helicopters, 2 AN-32s aircraft on a standby to move at a short notice besides asking its Eastern Air Command to coordinate relief operation with the task force positioned at Barrackpore. 2.21 pm: Phailin a category 4 cyclonic storm, says London organisation While the Indian Met department has not yet categorised Phailin as a super cyclone, it has been categorised as a category 4 cyclonic storm on a scale of 1 to 5 by London-based storm tracking service Tropical Storm Risk. In 1999 a Category 5 storm killed at least 10,000 people in the region. Heavy rains will lash the coast of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh this evening, and will move to the internal parts of the state by Saturday evening. 1.27 pm: Don’t panic, emergency services in place, says Patnaik Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has requested people not to panic saying required emergency services are in place. “I’d request everyone to not panic.. Please assist the government. Everyone from the block to the state HQ have been put on alert. The Navy and the Air Force have been informed and they will help with relief operations,” Patnaik said. 1.10 pm: Evacuation process begins in Andhra, Odisha At least 64,000 people residing in the north coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh will be moved to cyclone shelters by this evening, Andhra Pradesh government officials have told Headlines Today. According to journalist TS Sudhir, Andhra Pradesh has over 1,000 cyclone shelters of which 850 are functional, while Odisha has 750. 12.39 pm: Heavy rainfall to hit Odisha, Andhra coast by evening Rainfall in coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha will increase from tonight with strong winds of 200-220 kmph. The rains will extend to the internal areas of Odisha by Saturday night. Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts of Odisha and Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh wil be the most affected areas. Director of Cyclone Centre M Mahapatra also said that the cyclone has not yet been classified as a super cyclone but it was severe in nature. 12.11 pm: Cyclone could damage crops, disrupt power lines, warns Met Dept In a bulletin issued this morning, the IMD has said the cyclone could cause damage to houses as well public infrastructure. The report said there could be some damage to old buildings, while large scale disruption of power and communication lines. Disruption of rail and road traffic due to extensive flooding as well as flooding of escape routes could take place. It also warned of extensive damage to agricultural crops. 11.21 am: Odisha, AP on high alert as cyclone Phailin intensifies into a super storm Cyclone Phailin has intensified into a super storm with wind speeds likely to hit over 215 km/hr. The Met Department today issued an alert stating that the storm surge with a height of around 2.5-3.0 m above astronomical tide would inundate low lying areas of Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts of Odisha and Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh during landfall. Andhra government employees, who are currently on strike, have announced that they would take part in rescue and relief measures for the cyclonic storm.
10.53 am: Will forcefully evacuate people if necessary, says Odisha govt The Odisha government is bracing up for super cyclone Phailin with the armed forces being put on standy. Special Relief Commissioner PK Mahapatra has said the government will do its best to ensure there is zero human casualty. “Our first concern is zero human casualties.. no one will be allowed to stay in any kachha house.. anyone who stays back will be forcefully evacuated,” Mahapatra said. In Andhra Pradesh, Disaster Management Commissioner T Radha has said the government is geared up to face the cyclone. “We have been stocking essential commodities in advance.. once the cyclone crosses we expect 20 villages to be cut off.. so we are making necessary arrangements,” he said. Andhra Pradesh has set up a round-the-clock control room in the Secretariat. The control room numbers are: 040-23456005/23451043 and Fax- 040-23451819. Odisha: 0674-2534177. District control room number: Mayurbhanj 06792-252759, Jajpur 06728-222648, Gajapati 06815-222943, Dhenkanal 06762-221376, Khurda 06755-220002, Keonjhar 06766-255437 and Cuttak 0671-2507842, Ganjam 06811-263978, Puri 06752-223237, Kendrapara 06727-232803, Jagatsinghpur 06724-220368, Balasore 06782-262674, Bhadrak 06784-251881. 10.46 am: Andhra puts 6 districts on high alert, defence forces on standby Andhra Pradesh Disaster Management Commissioner T Radha has said that six districts in the state have been put on high alert. “The CM held a meeting with the Army and Navy, they are on standby incase of an emergency,” he said. 10.42 am: Odisha cancels Durga puja festivities as ‘super cyclone’ Phailin intensifies All Durga puja activities in Odisha have been cancelled as the state prepares for ‘Super cyclone’ which could be the worst since 1999 when 10,000 people died. The Air Force, Navy and national disaster management team are already on stand-by while the rapid action force has deployed its forces on the ground. People in the low lying areas of the state will be evacuated by tomorrow evening. At least a lakh food packets have already been prepared for air dropping if need be. The cyclone is moving northwest at a speed of 175-188 km/h and is likely to hit Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur in Odisha. The Met Department has also issued a warning that the speed could touch 215 km/hr by Saturday evening. 10. 31 am: Met department suspends fishing as cyclone Phailin intensifies The Met office in Hyderabad has recommended the total suspension of fishing operations, and has asked for judicious regulation of rail and road traffic from today, when the cyclone would be at a distance of 500 km from the coast. 10.25 am: Shift people from low-lying areas if necessary, Andhra CM tells authorities In Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy held a review meeting with senior officials directing them to take all precautionary measures in coastal districts. Revenue Minister N Raghuveera Reddy and Chief Secretary P K Mohanty attended the meeting. People from low-lying areas were instructed to be shifted as and when necessary to safer places, an official release had said. 10.07 am: Odisha seeks support from defence forces as cyclone Phailin intensifies Odisha government has urged the Centre to issue standing instructions to the defence forces to extend help as cyclone Phailin may hit the state on Saturday. “Our past experience indicates that despite preparedness by the state government, a severe cyclonic storm requires support of the defence forces to mitigate the effect of extreme weather,” Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote in a letter to Defence Minister AK Antony. Twenty three districts of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh are likely to be hit by cyclone Phailin within the next 24 hours as authorities brace themselves for what the met department defines as ’most severe’ cyclonic storm. Phailin is expected to cross the coast between Kalingapatnam and Paradip by Saturday evening.
In Andhra Pradesh, north coastal districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam are likely to experience very heavy rain from this evening while other coastal districts would also receive heavy rainfall. Andhra Pradesh has set up a round-the-clock control Room in the Secretariat. Telephone numbers: 040-23456005/23451043 and Fax- 040-23451819.
Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/india/live...ours-away-1165983.html?utm_source=ref_article
Over the last day, a cyclone over the Bay of Bengal has explosively strengthened as it marches towards the east coast of India, presenting a clear and present danger to the country of over a billion people.
In the last 18 hours, Phailin’s peak winds have increased an astonishing 80 mph (or 70 knots), a rare rate of intensification.
“Based on satellite estimates, maximum sustained winds are now easily around 160 mph (140 knots),” says Ryan Maue, a meteorologist at WeatherBell.com, a private forecasting services company.
Those wind speeds would make Phailin the equivalent of a category 5 hurricane, capable of catastrophic damage.
Phailin is not only intense, but also large.
“It’s equivalent to Katrina in size,” Maue says.
The storm is headed steadily northwest, on an unavoidable collision course with India’s east coast. Landfall is expected Saturday afternoon or evening local time (Saturday morning EDT), northeast of Visakhapatnam, on its current track provided by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Environmental conditions are ripe for the storm to maintain its strength if not intensify further.
Water temperatures are very warm and there is little hostile wind shear.
“Except for an eyewall replacement cycle, that’s the only thing that could stop it,” Maue says. “I don’t see any dry air. It’s outflow is nearly perfect. The ocean heat content all the way to the coast will be the same [as the content supporting its current strength] or even higher…”
Wunderground meteorologist Jeff Masters warns cyclones that form over the Bay of Bengal have a history of producing devastating cyclones.
“Twenty-six of the thirty-five deadliest tropical cyclones in world history have been Bay of Bengal storms,” Masters writes. “During the past two centuries, 42% of Earth’s tropical cyclone-associated deaths have occurred in Bangladesh, and 27% have occurred in India (Nicholls et al., 1995.)”
In 1999, the Odisha cyclone – taking a similar course to Phailin – made landfall as a category 4 cyclone with 155 mph sustained winds. The storm killed approximately 15,000 people. Many perished from the storm surge – the wall of water pushed ashore by Odisha’s winds – of up to 26 feet.
Storm surge, likewise, poses the biggest danger from Phailin due to the low lying terrain at the coast that could easily be inundated. The strength of Phailin’s winds and its mammoth size are likely to generate a massive surge.
“A worst case scenario would have Phailin tracking slightly eastward of its current forecasted track, toward Kolkata and the Ganges Delta of Bangladesh, which is home to tens of millions of people living just a few meters above sea level,” notes Qz.com meteorologist Eric Holthaus.
Preparations are underway.
“India began stocking shelters with rations, put disaster response teams on standby, and cancelled government employees’ holidays as a cyclone hurtled towards its southeastern coast on Thursday,” reports Reuters.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...atastrophic-cyclone-phailin-headed-for-india/
