New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Cyclone 'Jawad' would make landfall near Puri coast in Odisha around noon on Sunday (December 5). "Low-pressure system in Bay of Bengal has intensified into cyclonic storm Jawad," the IMD said.
Jawad will be the third cyclone to hit the eastern coast this year after Yaas and Gulab. The cyclone is expected to cause heavy to very heavy rainfall in parts of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal, with the wind speed ranging up to 100 kilometres per hour, the IMD said.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had held a meeting with top officials to review the situation. The Prime Minister directed officials to take every possible measure to ensure that people are safely evacuated and to ensure maintenance of all essential services such as power, telecommunications, health and drinking water, the PMO said in a statement on Thursday.
NDRF Director General Atul Karwal said 64 teams have been earmarked to tackle the impending cyclone.
"A total of 46 NDRF teams have been sent to Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh and are prepositioned there. IDS is on alert if the situation arises to airlift any of the teams. 18 more teams are on standby," ANI quoted Karwal as saying.
Cyclone Jawad: Forecast For Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal
The Odisha government has issued a red alert in many regions near the east coast. The Director-General of IMD, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, requested the fishermen to stay off the coast.
The Andhra Pradesh government has put its three north coastal districts on high alert. Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy spoke to Collectors of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts on Thursday and directed them to take all precautionary measures. A CMO release said the Chief Minister asked the Collectors to make arrangements for setting up relief camps wherever required.
"Ensure that nobody faces any problem because of the cyclonic storm. Be alert, particularly in the case of low-lying and vulnerable areas," Jagan told the collectors.
In West Bengal, the Met department said heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at one or two places over East Midnapore and heavy rain in West Midnapore, North- and South-24 Parganas, Jhargram and Howrah on Saturday.
On Sunday, heavy to very heavy showers is likely to lash one or two places in Kolkata, East and West Midnapore, North and South 24 Parganas, Jhargram and Howrah districts.