Damage feared as cyclonic storm to hit east coast India Saturday
New Delhi, Dec 3 (EFE).- India Friday issued a damage alert ahead of the passage of the cyclonic storm Jawad that is likely to hit the east coast over the weekend.
A deep depression in the Bay of Bengal had already intensified into a cyclonic storm, Indian Meteorology Department head Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told reporters.
He said it was likely to “intensify further” and reach the southern Andhra Pradesh state and Odisha in the east Saturday.
The Met bulletin warned that the storm could escalate into a “very severe” category cyclone, carrying 90 to 100 km per hour winds and 110 km per hour gusts.
The speed may gradually decrease after the storm reaches the Odisha coast.
The storm surge is likely to reach up to four meters above the astronomical tide, causing flooding in the low-lying areas of Odisha’s coastal districts on Sunday.
Officials fear that the passage of the cyclone could trigger landslides and cause damage to houses and shacks, flooding of roads, low-lying areas, and cultivation areas.
The authorities urged the fishermen not to venture into the sea.
They have recommended evicting people from vulnerable structures and the early harvest of crops before the storm passes.
About 50 teams from the National Disaster Response Forces (NDRF) are in Odisha, West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh states.
Another 20 were on alert, NDRF head Atul Karwal said.
Cyclones are a common occurrence on the Indian coast.
In May 2020, super cyclone Amphan killed more than 100 people in India and Bangladesh, in one of the worst incidents of the kind in years. EFE
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