Cyclone Asani Weakens As It Approaches Andhra, Heavy Rain, Winds: 10 Facts

Severe Cyclone Asani weakened to a cyclonic storm on Wednesday as it barrelled towards north coastal Andhra Pradesh and came within 34 km of Narsapur in the state, packing wind speed of 85 km per hour and bringing heavy rains to the region, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said.

The weather office said that the cyclone is expected to cross the coast near Antarvedi in a few hours and weaken further into a depression by late evening.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy conducted a videoconference with Collectors of coastal districts and reviewed the situation. He asked the administration to be on high alert and fully geared up to meet any emergency.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has earmarked a total of 50 teams for undertaking rescue and relief operations in areas affected by Asani. Of the 50 teams, 22 have been deployed on the ground in West Bengal, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh while the remaining 28 have been asked to be on alert within these states, an NDRF spokesperson said.

Heavy rainfall is likely at one or two places over Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, North and South 24 Parganas and Nadia districts of the West Bengal till May 12 morning. In Odisha, five districts - Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Ganjam and Gajapati - have been put on "high alert". Light to moderate rain or thundershower is likely to occur in Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Nayagarh, Khurda, Puri, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, the Regional Meteorological Centre said.

The Weather Office has warned fishermen against venturing into the deep sea in the region till Thursday, as Odisha and West Bengal braced for heavy rain.

According to the weather office, the cyclone could damage thatched huts, cause minor damage to power and communication lines, harm paddy and other standing crops in Krishna, East and West Godavari, and Vishakhapatnam districts of Andhra Pradesh, and Yanam in Puducherry.

Flight services to and from Visakhapatnam airport have been cancelled in view of the cyclone threat. While Indigo, which operates a large number of flights from the port city, cancelled 23 of its services. Other operators like Air Asia and Air India have also suspended their services

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Tuesday reviewed the preparedness of Central Ministries, agencies and administrations of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha to tackle the impending Cyclone 'Asani' in the Bay of Bengal.

The weather office has been monitoring the cyclonic storm since the first signs of its formation emerged last week. It has issued 30 national bulletins since May 7, predicting the track of the cyclone and alerting civic administrations about the possible damage it could cause.