Phailin unlikely to be like super cyclone of 1999: IMD

The "very severe" storm Phailin is unlikely to turn into a "super cyclone" like the one which hit the coastal areas of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh in 1999, the MET department today said.

"Although Phailin is on the border of being termed a super cyclone and has good resemblance of the 1999 storm, we have come to an understanding that it will not turn into a super cyclone. The storm will be around 210-220 kmph, but it is unlikely to intensify any further," said IMD Director General L S Rathore.

"There are several parameters on which we measure the intensity of the storm. Of the several parameters, it also has to cross the 'T' level of 6.5," he said.

"T" table is a system to measure the intensity of cyclones.

Rathore said the coastal areas will "start receiving very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall" from Friday evening with a wind speed of 100 kmph. It will accentuate by midnight and Saturday morning and cross up to 150 kmph.

The storm is likely to subside by October 13 reducing to "severe cyclonic storm" and "deep depression".