Cyclone ’Jal’ hurtling towards Andhra, Tamil Nadu coast

Mtoday news

Hyderabad, Nov 6: Hyderabad, Nov 6:  Cyclone ’Jal’ was hurtling towards south-eastern coast between Nellore and Puducherry packing wind speed of 110 km per hour and is expected to make landfall on Sunday night.

The meteorological depression, that intensified into a severe cyclone this morning, lay practically stationary about 550 km east-southeast of Chennai and 700 km southeast of Nellore in Andhra Pradesh.

The weather office said the storm was expected to intensify further moving west-northwestwards and cross north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coast between Puducherry and Nellore by tomorrow night.

Under the influence of the cyclone, expected to make landfall packing windspeed of nearly 140 km per hour, north coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south coastal Andhra Pradesh would receive heavy rains.

The weather office said that the cyclone would wreak havoc destroying thatched roofs and huts, and could damage power and communication lines due to uprooting of large avenue trees.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has already alerted the state governments of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry about the impending natural calamity.

 
"We have National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) stationed near Chennai and have also moved NDRF from Vijayawada to Nellore," M Shashidhar Reddy, Member, NDMA said.

He said the state administrations were in the process of identifying safe places for people who would have to be evacuated before the cyclone hits the coast.

"The situation is under constant watch and inundation maps would be ready by tomorrow morning after which the decision to evacuate people would be taken by the local authorities," Reddy said.

The weather office has advised total suspension of fishing operations and asked fishermen not to venture into the sea. It has also recommended shifting coastal hutment dwellers to safer places.

"Gale winds speed reaching 60-70 kmph gusting to 80 kmph would prevail along and off North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh coasts from tonight," the weather office said.

The wind speed may increase up to 120-130 kmph gusting to 140 kmph at the time of landfall, it said adding that the sea conditions will be very rough along and off these coasts becoming phenomenal at the time of landfall.

The India Meteorological Department has a network of Doppler Weather Radars (DWR) at Chennai, Machhilipattanam and Vishakhapatanam which could accurately forecast the movement of the weather system once it nears the coast. DWRs have a range of upto 450 km.

Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh government has directed top officials in coastal regions to be on high-alert as a severe cyclone is expected to hit the coast between Chennai and Nellore on Sunday evening.

Cyclone ’Jal’ is expected to cross the coast late evening and may cause damage in districts like Sri Potti Sriramulu, Nellore, Prakasam, Guntur and affect Chittoor district in Rayalaseema region, state Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao said.

The collectors of the four coastal districts have been asked to be on a high alert and evacuate people living in low-lying areas to safety, he said.

"Gale winds speed reaching 60-70 kmph gusting to 80 kmph would prevail along and off North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh coast from today evening. It may increase upto 120-130 kmph gusting to 140 kmph at the time of landfall," the state’s Disaster Management authorities said.

The intensity would increase with heavy to very heavy falls at a few places and isolated extremely heavy falls over south coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema over the next 48 hours, they added.

The minister said while the government is monitoring the situation, the people also should cooperate.

"In such circumstances it is through cooperation of the people that the government machinery can prevent or minimise damage. People should cooperate with the district officials and move to safety," Dharmana told reporters.

Army and Air Force have been put on alert while the Navy has been requested to arrange for boats and also keep helicopters on stand-by for rescue operations, he said, adding that National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel in Tamil Nadu has been positioned in Nellore.

Senior IAS officers, who previously served as Collectors, were being deputed as special officers to the districts to supervise any relief and rescue operations.

Control rooms have been set up at district headquarters, as well as in Hyderabad.

The week-long heavy rains since October 30, which wrecked havoc in Coastal and Rayalaseema regions, have already claimed 36 lives besides damaging crops in about 3 lakh hectares.

Following the IMD bulletin, the third warning signal has been hoisted at Krishnapatnam, Machilipatnam and Nizampatnam ports in south coastal Andhra. The port authorities at Gangavaram, Kakinada and Visakhapatnam in the north coast have hoisted the second warning signal.

Andhra Pradesh’s Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Dharmana Prasad Rao said collectors in all nine coastal districts were asked to remain on alert and take all preventive measures to minimise loss of life.

He said the state government had requested the army, air force and navy to be on stand-by for rescue and relief work if necessary. National Disaster Management Response Force is also sending its men and materials for rescue.

Heavy rains over the last one week under the impact of low pressure and vigorous northeast monsoon in the state have claimed 37 lives in coastal Andhra and damaged crops in nearly 300,000 hectares, according to officials.