Strong winds, heavy rains in coastal AP ahead of Hudhud strike

Strong winds and heavy rains led to large-scale disruption of power lines in three coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh as the state braced for Hudhud, a very severe cyclonic storm that is expected to hit the coast around noon today.
"Except East Godavari, power entirely failed in the three districts of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam (which are expected to bear the brunt). There were gale winds. The situation is very severe. National Highway in the region has been shut," Special Commissioner, State Disaster Management Authority, K Hymavathi told PTI.
Tens of thousands of people had been evacuated from vulnerable areas of the four districts.

According to the latest bulletin of Indian Meteorological Department, the storm would cross close to the port city of Visakhapatnam around noon.
Wind speed reaching 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph would prevail along and off north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha coasts this morning.
The wind speed would gradually increase to 170-180 kmph gusting to 195 kmph around the time of landfall along and off north Andhra Pradesh (East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts) and 80-90 kmph along and off adjoining districts of Andhra Pradesh (West Godavari & Krishna districts) and south Odisha (Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput and Malkangiri districts).

The department warned that storm surge of about 1-2 metres above astronomical tide would inundate low lying areas of Visakhapatnam, Vijayanagaram and Srikakulam districts of north coastal Andhra Pradesh at the time of landfall.
"Even after landfall the system would maintain the intensity of very severe cyclonic storm for six hours and gradually weaken into a cyclonic storm in subsequent six hours while moving northwestwards across south interior Odisha and Chhattisgarh," the bulletin said.