A girl runs for shelter in heavy rain brought by Cyclone Phailin in Ichapuram town in Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh (Reuters photo)
The massive cyclonic storm Phailin, classified as "very severe", is currently stationary about 30 km away from Gopalpur in Odisha and is gaining in strength. It is expected to make landfall soon and has prompted the country's biggest evacuation in 23 years with 5.5 lakh people moved up from the coastline in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh to safer places. At least three people have already died in Odisha after uprooted trees fell on them today.
Here are the latest developments:
A massive relief operation has been mounted by multiple state and central agencies. The immediate focus is to ensure there is no loss of life. Phailin is expected to affect around 1.2 crore people in India. While Odisha has evacuated 4.5 lakh people, Andhra Pradesh has moved about a lakh to safety. (Read:Over four lakh people evacuated in Odisha)
The storm is expected to make landfall in Odisha near Gopalpur and will cause very heavy rain. The Met department said wind speeds could touch between 210 to 220 kilometres per hour. The cyclone is likely to remain "very severe" for up to six hours after hitting the coast. (Full coverage)
At the intensity that it is expected to hit it would cause waves of up to 3.5 metres, but experts said because it will strike land at low tide, the waves could be smaller at about 2.5 metres. Sea water is expected to enter 300 to 600 meters inland. (Track updates)
If wind speeds go above 220 km per hour at landfall, Phailin could be classified as a super cyclone, Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) chief LS Rathore said. The super-cyclone of 1999 had hit Odisha with wind speeds of 260 km per hour and waves as high as six metres high. (A look at devastating cyclones from Bay of Bengal)
It is raining already in coastal areas of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh and power supply has been cut from Ichchapuram to Palasa in Andhra Pradesh and in seven coastal districts in Odisha. Power supply has been hit in capital Bhubaneswar too. There are reports of strong winds uprooting trees and electricity poles in Santhabomalli in Srikakulam district. (Read: Rain and wind batter east coast as cyclone Phailin barrels down)
All 56 trains on the Howrah-Visakhapatnam route have been cancelled and about 16 trains have been diverted. These trains are likely to be cancelled tomorrow as well. Road traffic is also likely to be hit by the heavy rain. (Read) Odisha's airport in capital Bhubaneswar is now closed and is expected to remain so till tomorrow evening. An aircraft with more than 500 tonnes of relief material landed at the airport this morning. (Helpline numbers)
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has directed that all possible assistance be extended to the states which are on alert for the cyclone. Meanwhile, Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said the government is ready with 18 helicopters, 12 aircraft and two ships for rescue efforts. (Read: Government ready with choppers, aircraft, ships)
Odisha and Andhra Pradesh have been warned about extensive damage to homes, communication and power systems and crops in the storm. Odisha's Disaster Management Minister Surya Narayan Patra told NDTV, "We are fighting against nature. We are better prepared this time, we learnt a lot from 1999." Nearly 15,000 people died in the 1999 super-cyclone. (Read: Red alert issued as Cyclone Phailin closes in)
1000 Army jawans have been deployed for relief operations as have been Central Reserve Police Force or CRPF jawans. The Air Force is on standby with 40 planes and choppers in Nashik, Ranchi, Bangalore, Nagpur and Barrackpore and 30 teams of Indian Navy divers are on alert; Navy ships will be deployed after the cyclone makes landfall. Five Army columns have been sent to Bhubaneswar from Ranchi.
The Met department has also predicted rains in parts of West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
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