Cyclone Titli to make landfall at Odisha-Andhra border on eastern coast

Cyclone Titli has intensified into a "very severe cyclonic storm" and will make a landfall in areas bordering Odisha and Andhra Pradesh along the eastern coast Thursday morning, the NDMA said Wednesday.

After the landfall, the cyclonic storm is likely to maintain the intensity throughout Thursday while moving northeastwards across Odisha.

In view of cyclonic storm Titli gaining strength, the fishermen have been advised not to venture into west-central and north Bay of Bengal. Those, who are out in deep sea areas are advised to return to the coast immediately, officials said.

The severe cyclonic storm has intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm and will cross between Gopalpur (Odisha) and Kalingapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) Thursday morning, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said, quoting a bulletin of the India Meteorological Department.

There may be damage in the districts of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, and Srikakulam of Andhra Pradesh and Gajapati, Ganjam, Khurda, Nayagarh, and Puri districts of Odisha, the NDMA said.
 

After the landfall, the very severe cyclonic storm is most likely to maintain the intensity of cyclone. As a result, the gale wind speed of 60-90 kmph is very likely to prevail over interior districts adjacent to south coastal Odisha and wind speed of 60-70 km per hour over the interior districts adjacent to north coastal Odisha on Thursday, it said.

The cyclonic storm is being monitored by the coastal doppler weather radars at Visakhapatnam, Gopalpur and Paradip, the NDMA said.

The latest observations indicate that the cyclone hover over the west central Bay of Bengal and then will move northwestwards.

The cyclone is positioned 280 km south-southeast of Gopalpur and 230 km southeast of Kalingapatnam.

The storm surge of the height of about one metre above astronomical tide is very likely to inundate low-lying areas in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district, and Odisha's Ganjam, Khurda and Puri districts at the time of landfall.

Coastal hutment dwellers are advised to move to safer places and others in the affected areas are asked to remain indoors, the NDMA said.