Cyclone Fani: Red alert sounded in Srikakulam district

: A red alert has been sounded in Srikakulam district of north coastal Andhra Pradesh Wednesday as heavy rains with winds gusting up to 120 kmph are likely under the influence of the extremely severe cyclonic storm Fani.

Heavy rainfall has also been predicted in adjoining Vizianagaram district and scattered rainfall in Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts along the Bay of Bengal on May 2 and 3.

As many as 11 mandals along the Bay of Bengal coast in Srikakulam are expected to bear the brunt of Fani.

In Vizianagaram district, seven mandals might be affected.

Fifteen teams of NDRF personnel, 34 boat rescue teams of Fire Services Department and 116 road clearance teams have been kept on stand-by for necessary emergency operations.

The Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy has kept its ships ready in Visakhapatnam with relief material for immediate deployment to the most affected areas to undertake Humanitarian Aid and Distress Relief (HADR) operation.

Diving andmedical teams are also kept ready to augment rescue and relief efforts in Andhra Pradesh and Odissa, the Navy said in a release.

Naval aircraft have also been kept ready at Naval Air Stations, INS Dega and INS Rajali, to undertake aerial survey of the most affected areas, casualty evacuation and air drop of relief material as required by thestate administration, the release added.

State Chief Secretary L V Subrahmanyam reviewed the situation with Collectors and other officials of the affected districts and directed them to be on a high alert.

Fani, which lay centered about 360 km south-east of Machilipatnam on Wednesday evening, is expected to intensify till Thursday morning with a peak (wind) intensity of 200 kmph with north-northeastward movement towards north coastal Andhra and coastal Odisha, the AP Weather Forecasting and Early Warning Research Centre (Aware) said.

The Real-Time Governance Centre of the state government that is closely tracking and monitoring the cyclonic storm movement, said Fani might make landfall in central Odisha between Puri and Paradip on May 3 afternoon.

Fani will cross land between north coastal Odisha and extreme south coastal West Bengal on May 3 midnight and early hours of May 4 with a wind speed of 150 kmph, RTGC said in a release.