Thundershowers due to Roanu will lash Bengal districts and Kolkata starting Friday evening, the weather office said.
Highlights
- Cyclone Roanu, formed over the Bay of Bengal, is set to intensify
- It will bring heavy to very heavy rains in West Bengal over the weekend
- Meanwhile, threat to coastal Andhra Pradesh from cyclone has receded
Cyclone 'Roanu', formed over the Bay of Bengal, is set to intensify and bring heavy to very heavy rains in West Bengal from Friday night, the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) said.
"Thundershowers due to Roanu will lash Bengal districts and Kolkata starting late evening today (Friday). Roanu is likely to cross coastal Bangladesh on May 21 night or early morning on May 22. On the way, the cyclone will hit Bengal," said an official at the RMC in Kolkata.
Rainfall would continue till Sunday, the official said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a cyclone alert for coastal Bengal on Friday and has also informed the state chief secretary.
Sea waves are very likely to be high to very high along and off Bengal coast during next 48 hours, the IMD said.
"Damage (expected) to thatched huts, minor damage to power and communication lines and major damage to kutcha and minor damage to pucca roads over north coastal Andhra Pradesh during next 24 hours, over coastal Odisha and coastal West Bengal during next 48 hours," the IMD said.
Meanwhile, the threat to coastal Andhra Pradesh from the cyclone appears to have receded, officials said on Friday.
According to the met office, the cyclonic storm lay centred at about 40 km south southeast of Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
Under the influence of the cyclone, heavy rains continued in parts of coastal Andhra for a third day consecutive day on Friday, lashing Srikakulam, Vijayanagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari and Krishna districts.
The Visakhapatnam Cyclone Warning Centre has forecast heavy to very heavy rains at isolated places in these districts till Saturday.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who reviewed the situation on Thursday, had directed officials to be prepared to evacuate people from low-lying areas.
Five teams of National Disaster Response Force and personnel from State Disaster Response Force were also deployed to take up rescue and relief works.