'Laila' remains static, may hit Andhra
Thursday, 20 May 2010
The cyclonic storm 'Laila' has remained static and it likely to move to India particularly its Andhra Pradesh, reports BSS.
Talking to the news agency, Met Office official said the possibility of the cyclone to hit the coast of Bangladesh was very low.
The Met Office weather bulletin said the cyclonic storm 'Laila' over west-central Bay and adjoining southwest bay remained practically stationary and was centred at 12 noon Wednesday about 1405 kms southwest of Chittagong port, 1350 kms southwest of Cox's Bazar port and 1250 kms southwest of Mongla port and was likely to intensify further and move in a northwesterly direction.
Maximum sustained wind speed within 4 kms of the storm centre is about 62 kph rising to 88 kph in gusts/squalls, sea will remain very rough.
Maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Mongla have been advised to keep hoisted distant warning signal number two ® two.
All fishing boats and trawlers over north Bay and deep sea have been advised to remain close to the coast and proceed with caution till further notice and not to venture into deep sea.
AFP report from Hyderabad adds: heavy rains and strong winds battered India's southeast coast on Wednesday as forecasters warned that a cyclonic storm would make landfall early on Thursday.
Cyclone Laila was centred in the Bay of Bengal, 190 kilometres (120 miles) east of the city of Chennai, packing winds of about 90 kilometres per hour, the Indian Meteorological Department said.
V. Prasad Rao, a weather official in the southeast state of Andhra Pradesh, warned that Laila was predicted to intensify before hitting the coast near the city of Machlipatnam with wind speeds of up to 125 kilometres per hour.
"We have passed on information to state authorities to warn fishermen not to go out into the sea and to evacuate people from low-lying coastal areas. This is being done," Rao told AFP.
The weather department in its latest warning said a "storm surge" of up to two metres (six and a half feet) above the regular tide was likely to inundate parts of coastal Andhra Pradesh.
It warned of "high to phenomenal" sea conditions and the possibility of extensive damage to huts and power and communication lines.
"The focus is on evacuation now. People are advised to keep important documents and valuables ready and be prepared to move to shelters at short notice," said Marri Sashidhar Reddy, an official at the National Disaster Management Authority.
Dinakar Babu, a senior disaster official in Andhra Pradesh, said that besides existing cyclone shelters, schools and community halls had been identified to serve as potential relief camps to evacuees.
Authorities were preparing helicopters and boats to be ready for any emergency, he added.
The impact of the weather system was already being felt in Tamil Nadu state-just south of Andhra Pradesh-with heavy rains and gale-force winds on Wednesday.
India and Bangladesh are hit regularly by cyclones that develop in the Bay of Bengal between April and November, causing widespread damage to homes and fields when they hit land.
Last May, Cyclone Aila tore through southern Bangladesh killing 300 people and destroyed 4,000 kilometres of roads and river embankments, leading to major flooding.
About 200,000 people were made homeless and many remain in temporary shelters.
Talking to the news agency, Met Office official said the possibility of the cyclone to hit the coast of Bangladesh was very low.
The Met Office weather bulletin said the cyclonic storm 'Laila' over west-central Bay and adjoining southwest bay remained practically stationary and was centred at 12 noon Wednesday about 1405 kms southwest of Chittagong port, 1350 kms southwest of Cox's Bazar port and 1250 kms southwest of Mongla port and was likely to intensify further and move in a northwesterly direction.
Maximum sustained wind speed within 4 kms of the storm centre is about 62 kph rising to 88 kph in gusts/squalls, sea will remain very rough.
Maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Mongla have been advised to keep hoisted distant warning signal number two ® two.
All fishing boats and trawlers over north Bay and deep sea have been advised to remain close to the coast and proceed with caution till further notice and not to venture into deep sea.
AFP report from Hyderabad adds: heavy rains and strong winds battered India's southeast coast on Wednesday as forecasters warned that a cyclonic storm would make landfall early on Thursday.
Cyclone Laila was centred in the Bay of Bengal, 190 kilometres (120 miles) east of the city of Chennai, packing winds of about 90 kilometres per hour, the Indian Meteorological Department said.
V. Prasad Rao, a weather official in the southeast state of Andhra Pradesh, warned that Laila was predicted to intensify before hitting the coast near the city of Machlipatnam with wind speeds of up to 125 kilometres per hour.
"We have passed on information to state authorities to warn fishermen not to go out into the sea and to evacuate people from low-lying coastal areas. This is being done," Rao told AFP.
The weather department in its latest warning said a "storm surge" of up to two metres (six and a half feet) above the regular tide was likely to inundate parts of coastal Andhra Pradesh.
It warned of "high to phenomenal" sea conditions and the possibility of extensive damage to huts and power and communication lines.
"The focus is on evacuation now. People are advised to keep important documents and valuables ready and be prepared to move to shelters at short notice," said Marri Sashidhar Reddy, an official at the National Disaster Management Authority.
Dinakar Babu, a senior disaster official in Andhra Pradesh, said that besides existing cyclone shelters, schools and community halls had been identified to serve as potential relief camps to evacuees.
Authorities were preparing helicopters and boats to be ready for any emergency, he added.
The impact of the weather system was already being felt in Tamil Nadu state-just south of Andhra Pradesh-with heavy rains and gale-force winds on Wednesday.
India and Bangladesh are hit regularly by cyclones that develop in the Bay of Bengal between April and November, causing widespread damage to homes and fields when they hit land.
Last May, Cyclone Aila tore through southern Bangladesh killing 300 people and destroyed 4,000 kilometres of roads and river embankments, leading to major flooding.
About 200,000 people were made homeless and many remain in temporary shelters.