Helpline numbers: New Delhi 011 23093563, 23093566; Odisha 1948; Andhra Pradesh 1949
October 17, 13.30 pm (IST): Cyclone Hudhud, after battering coastal Andhra Pradesh and Odisha on October 13 kept losing steam as it travelled across Chhattisgarh, Bihar and east Uttar Pradesh. Torrential unseasonal rain and squally winds caused immense damage to standing crops, which were almost ready for harvesting.
Remnants of the cyclone fizzled out in central Nepal and foothills of Bihar. Though it lost its defining features but had enough potential to bring deluge across the Annapurna Mountain range in central Nepal.
Remnants of #CycloneHudhud brings deluge across the Annapurna Mountain range in central Nepal. http://t.co/JZw612rkVh
— SkymetWeather (@SkymetWeather) October 16, 2014
Hudhud will become completely redundant in another 24 hours but there seems no early end in sight to the misery of the people in Visakhapatnam and other Hudhud-hit coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh. Reportedly, the Vizag airport has suffered a humongous damage worth around 500 crores. Flight services have now resumed but it might take another two weeks for power supply to be completely restored.
October 13, 10.30 am (IST): Cyclone Hudhud weakens further into a depression and lies close to Raipur in Chhattisgarh. It bears wind speed of 40-50 kmph, gusting at 60 kmph.
October 13, 8.30 am (IST): Rain reduces to minimal in Visakhapatnam. Winds also become calm. Airport likely to become operational by today, says the Indian navy.
October 13, 8.00 am (IST): Cyclone Hudhud has weakened into a deep depression and lies over Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh. Wind speeds are in the range of 50-70 kmph.
October 13, 7.30 am (IST): Death toll mounts to 6 in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha
October 12, 6.45 pm (IST) : Cyclone Hudhud moves out of Visakhapatnam, loses speed. Winds now blowing at a speed of 120-130 kmph.
October 12, 5.00 pm (IST) : Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu by phone and enquired about the cyclone 'Hudhud', which hit the Andhra coast near Vizag Sunday.
October 12, 3.00 pm (IST) : Cyclone Hudhud resurges in Visakhapatnam with wind speed of 200 kmph. Huge damage caused to infrastructure, crops and telecommunication.
October 12, 2.40 pm (IST) : 'We have to monitor very closely in the next three-four hours. We are continuously evacuating people': N Chandrababu Naidu, chief minister of Andhra Pradesh.
I appeal to people in coastal districts to stay indoors even 6 hours after the cyclone's effect. Your safety is my concern.
— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) October 12, 2014
October 12, 2.05 pm (IST) : Strong winds are lashing Ganjam district of Odisha, just before the arrival of Cyclone Hudhud.
#CycloneHudhud to bring rain over Chhattisgarh, east Vidarbha, Telangana, Jharkhand, east MP, West Bengal, Bihar and east Uttar Pradesh. — SkymetWeather (@SkymetWeather) October 12, 2014
October 12, 1.20 pm (IST) : In Odisha, 92,882 people have been evacuated and moved to 790 safety shelters across nine districts.
#CycloneHudud already claimed two lives in rain-related incidents in Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam districts. — SkymetWeather (@SkymetWeather) October 12, 2014
October 12, 1.00 pm (IST) : Gradually, Hudhud will weaken into a cyclone and further into a depression within next 24 hours.
The rain belt will gradually cover Gangetic Bengal, Chhattisgarh, east Vidarbha, Jharkhand, Bihar, parts of Madhya Pradesh and extend up to east Uttar Pradesh.
October 12, 12.10 pm (IST) : Cyclone Hudud already claimed two lives in rain-related incidents in Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam districts.
Odisha will not escape fury of the cyclone. Malkangiri, Koraput, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Ganjam and Gajapati are some of the places that will be affected by Cyclone Hudhud.
October 12, 12.05 pm (IST) : Hudhud makes landfall at Visakhapatnam. At present the eye of the storm is crossing the coastal city.
October 12, 11.50 am (IST) : Cyclone Hudhud is approaching towards the coast of Visakhapatnam with the wind speed of 180 kmph. According to Skymet Meteorology Division in India, cyclone Hudhud has hit the coast of Andhra Pradesh and it is expected to make a landfall soon.
At the time landfall, gusty winds are expected to touch the speed of 200 kmph with the tides surging to the height of about 20 feet. Areas falling within the range of 200 km, on either side of the eye of the cyclone, will experience very strong winds and exceptionally heavy rainfall.
At present, it is about 30 km away from the coast and the peripheral thick cloud bands are already affecting Visakhapatnam and neighbourhood areas. Visakhapatnam is already experiencing very heavy rainfall. Hoardings and trees are uprooted due to heavy winds.
The cyclone is still maintaining the intensity of a very severe cyclonic storm. However, it will gradually weaken into a cyclonic storm post landfall.
Over four lakhs of people have been evacuated till now and people are advised to stay indoor. Electricity supply has also been cut off since morning as a precaution in Visakhapatnam.
Army, Navy and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are on standby for rescue and relief operations. As reported by NDTV, 17 Coast Guard Ships, nine aircraft, 44 teams of NDRF with over 2,000 rescuers have been deployed.
October 11: Cyclone Hudhud has intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm. It is currently centred around 15.9°N latitude and 85.7°E longitude, about 350 km east/southeast of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and 380 km south/southeast of Gopalpur in Odisha.
Punched with a speed of 120-130 kmph at the core and gusting at 150 kmph, Hudhud is travelling in a west/northwest direction. At the moment cyclone Hudhud is demonstrating strength equivalent to CAT II storm and likely to strengthen further.
According to latest weather update by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, Hudhud will make landfall near Visakhapatnam by the forenoon hours of October 12. Maximum wind speed at the time of landfall could be 140-155 kmph.
Coastal areas of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh are likely to bear the maximum brunt of the cyclone. Light rain has commenced in the coastal areas and the cloud cover will gradually thicken to bring overcast skies. As reiterated by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, heavy showers will start lashing the states from tonight and pick up as we approach landfall.
Up to 500 km on either side of the landfall area, generally become vulnerable to intense weather activity. The districts to be affected with squally winds and heavy showers in Andhra Pradesh would be Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and East Godavari.
The Odisha Government is also on alert to face the threat posed by CycloneHudhud. The districts likely to be affected are Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi and Kandhamal.
After landfall, the cyclone will weaken and travel deep inland. The rain belt will gradually shift to cover Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, eastern parts of Madhya Pradesh and extend up to east Uttar Pradesh.
Governmental authorities in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh are on high alert with the cyclone bearing down on the coast, around the same time as cyclone Phailin battered Odisha. Just like last year, we pray that the state’s effective preparations will save countless lives.
October 10: Cyclone Hudhud is continuously gaining strength and is currently centred around 14.8°N latitude and 87.2°E longitude, about 600 km from Visakhapatnam coast. The cyclone in all likelihood will soon turn into a very severe cyclonic storm, according to Skymet Meteorology Division in India.
At the moment cyclone Hudhud is moving at a speed of 10 kmph and is punched with winds speed of 110 kmph at the core gusting at 130 kmph, demonstrating strength equivalent to CAT I storm. And the chances of the cyclonic storm turning into a CAT III storm is also very high.
Hudhud is likely to make landfall between Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Gopalpur in Odisha by the night of October 11 or early morning of October 12. But chances of the cyclone hitting Visakhapatnam is rather high.
It is to be noted that damage in the coastal areas in terms of strong winds and heavy showers begin even before cyclones make landfall.
Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have started experiencing clouding, which will gradually thicken to bring overcast skies. As reiterated by Skymet Meteorology Division in India, heavy showers will start lashing the states from October 10 and pick up as we approach landfall. Up to 500 km on either side of the landfall area, generally become vulnerable to intense weather activity.
The most damaging aspect of storms, squally winds, will start ravaging the coastal areas from the 11th. After landfall, the rain belt will gradually shift to cover Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, eastern parts of Madhya Pradesh and extend up to east Uttar Pradesh.