AMARAVATI:
The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday sounded an alert in view of the cyclone threat to north coastal Andhra region.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that the cyclonic storm is likely to form over central Bay of Bengal on December 3.
According to IMD, the cyclonic storm likely to move northwestwards, intensify further and reach near north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts around December 4 morning.
It has forecast light to moderate rainfall at many places with heavy rainfall at isolated places over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and south coastal Odisha from evening of December 4.
Light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy falls at isolated places very likely over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and coastal Odisha, it said.
Gale winds speed reaching 65-75 kmph gusting up to 85 kmph likely to prevail over central Bay of Bengal from the early morning of December 3 and gradually increase becoming 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph over northwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal from the morning of December 4 for the subsequent 24 hours.
Squally wind speed reaching 45-55 kmph gusting up to 65 kmph likely to commence along and off north Andhra Pradesh – Odisha coasts from the midnight of December 3 and increase gradually becoming 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph from December morning for the subsequent 12 hours.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday held a meeting with district collectors of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam to review the situation.
The chief minister discussed with the collectors the precautionary measures to be taken. During the review meeting, he directed the district collectors and officials to set up relief camps at required locations. He instructed the officials to be alert in low lying areas and take all necessary measures.
The State Government has appointed three officers for Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts each. H. Arun Kumar has been appointed as special officer for Srikakulam, Kanthilal Dande for Vizianagaram and Syamala Rao for Visakhapatnam district, to monitor relief measures.
The chief minister directed the special officers to depart to their assigned districts and coordinate and monitor relief works.
