According to Skymet Meteorology Division in India, Cyclone Hudhud, which is named after a colourful bird, is currently centred around 13.7°N latitude and 89.2°E longitude, more than 800 km away from north Andhra and south Odisha coast near Long Island.
Authorities in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh are on high alert as the storm could hit anywhere between Visakhapatnam in Andhra coast and Gopalpur in the neighbouring state of Odisha.
Odisha state government led by Navin Patnaik had called for an urgent cyclone preparedness review meeting on Wednesday, with several departments including National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), fire department, police, water resources, energy and special relief commissioner.
Speaking to leading daily, The Times of India, Patnaik said that the state was fully prepared to meet any eventuality arising out of the cyclonic storm. The departments are already chalking out a contingency plan to deal with it and ensuring there is no loss of life.
Odisha Disaster Rapid action force (ODRAF) personnel were seen checking up their equipments during the preparations ahead of the cyclone, which is bearing down on the coast exactly a year after cyclone Phailin battered Odisha.
Warnings have been issued to fishermen and locals from venturing out in the sea. Cyclone shelters are being prepared as the authorities get ready to evacuate people. Last year also, timely evacuation of close to one million people in the state saved countless lives .
Meanwhile, panicked locals in the coastal areas were seen stocking essential items ranging from food to fuel.
Punched with a speed of 90 kmph at the core and gusting at 110 kmph, Hudhud is travelling in a west/northwest direction. Coastal areas of Bengal, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh remain under threat but predicting its exact landfall still remains precarious.
Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have already 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.
Picture courtesy: PTI