Low-pressure in the Bay of Bengal turns cyclone Jawad, likely to hit the coast at Puri on Sunday

The low-pressure formed in the Bay of Bengal has turned into a cyclone Jawad and was reported 420 km southeast of Visakhapatnam and 530 km south of Gopalpur, Odisha. It is said to be moving towards the coast at a speed of 25 km per hour, the Meteorological Department said. It said it was likely to get closer to the northern coast by Saturday morning. Authorities expect the winds to intensify as they approach the coast, which is likely to change direction and head towards Puri. The authorities have warned of heavy to very heavy rains in north Coastal Andhra due to the impact of the cyclone. He said there was a possibility of more than 20 cm of rainfall in many places.

They said the cyclone is expected to cause sea waves of up to 3.5 meters. People in the hinterland were advised to be vigilant. The Department of Disaster Management has warned fishermen not to go fishing. Authorities issued warnings to all ports on the north coast.

Meanwhile, Visakhapatnam District Collector Mallikarjuna advised the officials that GVMC, police, revenue, and irrigation personnel should be vigilant to deal with the impact of the cyclone. It was suggested that precautionary measures be taken as there is a possibility of heavy rains for the next three days due to the impact of the cyclone. He said 66 NDRF and 55 SDRF members were prepared for the cyclone relief operation. On the other hand, a control room has been set up at Visakhapatnam Collectorate. A control room has been set up with phone numbers 0891-2590100, 0891-2590102, 0891-2750089, 0891-2750090, 0891-2560820.

Deputy Chief Minister Dharmana Krishna Das conducted a review at the Srikakulam Collectorate in the wake of cyclone Jawad warnings. He directed the District Collector and other senior officials on the precautionary measures to be taken in the wake of the cyclone. He said the storm is likely to intensify in 11 mandals of the district. Electricity department officials advised to be vigilant and take precautionary measures for drinking water.

On the other hand, Vizianagaram District Collector Surya Kumari visited the field level in the wake of cyclone Jawad and alerted people and farmers in the wake of the storm. Medical teams, SDRF and NDRF teams have been prepared, the collector said.