The India Meteorological Department (IMD), on Tuesday, said the deep depression over the Bay of Bengal has intensified into a cyclonic storm ‘Titli’ and is moving towards the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh coast.
The Odisha government deployed rescue personnel and relief material and the collectors of 5 districts to remain on high- alert as the cyclone is expected to hit the eastern state from Wednesday and trigger heavy rainfall and stormy winds.
Around 300 motor boats have been arranged to assist in rescue operation over a possible flood situation on Wednesday and Thursday. Fishermen along the coast and central and north Bay of Bengal have been advised not to venture into sea till Friday.
HR Biswas, Director at Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre, mentioned that by 5:30 am on Tuesday, the deep depression lay centred over west central Bay of Bengal near 570km southeast of Gopalpur in Odisha and 510km southeast of Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
ALSO READ: Six dead, several injured after train derails in Raebareli
“It is very likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm during next 24 hours and is expected to move west-northwestwards for some more time and then northwestwards and cross the coast between Gopalpur of Odisha and Kalingapatnam of adjoining north Andhra Pradesh around the morning of October 11,” said Biswas.
The Odisha government has announced the schools, colleges and anaganwadi centres in Puri, Ganjam, Gajapati and Jagatsinghpur, to remain closed from Wednesday. “We will take a call on whether to ask educational institutions in other districts to remain shut,” Aditya Prasad Padhi, the state’s chief secretary, said.
ALSO READ: Chhattisgarh: Six dead, 14 injured in massive fire in Bhilai Steel Plant
The Odisha government has directed all the schools and colleges in four districts of the state – Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri and Jagatsinghpur – will remain shut for two days from Wednesday as a precaution against Cyclone Titli.
The cyclone is likely to make landfall near Gopalpur on Thursday.