New Delhi:
Severe cyclonic storm 'Helen', packed with wind speed reaching up to 120 kmph, is likely to cross southern Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Machillipatnam, close to Ongole, on Friday afternoon, a latest report from the weather department has said.
The system, currently located 360 km east of Ongole and 260 km east-southeast of Machillipatnam, is expected to bring heavy to very heavy rainfall in coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalseema region, north Tamil Nadu and many places in south Odisha beginning today. Winds with speed reaching 55-65 kmph would also prevail along and off south Andhra Pradesh coast commencing from today.
(Track LIVE Updates)Nellore, Prakasam, Guntur and Krishna districts in south coastal Andhra Pradesh are expected to be worst hit by the cyclone. A storm surge of about 1 to 1.5m height above astronomical tide is likely to inundate low lying areas in these districts at the time of landfall. Massive evacuation efforts are hence underway to minimise the damage.
Warnings have also been issued to fishermen in the area to stay away from sea until the cyclone settles down completely.
The weather department has clarified that Helen's intensity would be "much less" than cyclone Phailin, which hit Odisha and Andhra Pradesh last month.
Phailin, a very severe cyclonic storm, said to be the second strongest after the disastrous super-cyclone of 1999, struck the Odisha coast on October 12, bringing in its wake torrential rains and wind speeds of over 200 kmph in the state and in the neighbouring north coastal Andhra Pradesh. The cyclone flattened tens of thousands of thatched homes, destroyed more than five lakh hectares of crops, knocked out power lines and claimed over 40 lives, most of them in Odisha.