Cyclone Alert issued: Phethai to Strike AP

 Vishakhapatnam: Severe Tropical cyclone Phethai to strike South coastal parts of Andhra Pradesh. Coastal areas in AP had been placed an High red alert, according to state officials on Thursday. 

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed the district collector in the AP south coastal region to be on High Alert. He informed officials to be prepared to evacuate people from vulnerable communities in case cyclone phethai makes landfall. 

This would be the third cyclone to hit South India this winter. The storm is currently a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal and it is predicted to intensify into a cyclone by tomorrow.

The storm is expected to make landfall between Ongole and Kakinada on Dec 17, in the afternoon . The IMD has predicted rainfall in several places in coastal AP on Dec 15 evening. On Dec 16 and 17, heavy to very heavy rainfall has been predicted over coastal Andhra Pradesh.

South Chhattisgarh and Odisha May also see rainfall on Dec 17.