Hudhud to hit near Vizag

Districts administration put on high alert

• Landfall on Sunday, windspeed to touch
• MET warns of extensive damage to kutcha houses
• Communication lines and train services will be disrupted
• Naidu holds review meeting with officials and orders preparations
• NDRF deploys six rescue and relief teams in coastal regions

Hyderabad: The Cyclonic storm `Hudhud’ over the Bay of Bengal has turned into a super cyclone. The storm over east central Bay of Bengal has moved west-northwestward and lay centered 750 km southeast of Gopalpur. It is likely to landfall between Gopalpur and Visakhapatnam coast by forenoon on Sunday.

The system would continue to move west-northwestwards and would intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours. The system would cross north Andhra Pradesh coast around Visakhapatnam by forenoon of October 12,” the Meteorological department said.

“Storm surge of about 1-2 meters above astronomical tide would inundate low lying areas of east Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Vijayanagaram and Srikakulam districts of north coastal Andhra Pradesh at the time of landfall,” the bulletin said.

Squally wind speed reaching 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph would commence on October 11 and the wind speed would increase to 130-140 kmph gusting to 150 kmph from morning of October 12 according to IMD.

The MeT bulletin has warned that sea condition would be rough to very rough from the morning of October 11 and would gradually become phenomenal from 12th morning. Under the influence of the system, extensive damage was likely to kutcha houses. They also told the AP government that there would be partial disruption of power and communication lines and minor disruption of rail and road traffic.

Hudhud will be the second major cyclone after Phailin, which hit Gopalpur in the eastern coast in October 2013. While Phailin, which was also a “very severe cyclonic storm,” saw winds gusting up to 210-220 kmph, Hudhud may not be as severe as Phailin.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu held a review meeting with senior officials and district collectors of North Coastal and East Godavari districts to take stock on preparedness to meet any eventuality. The district administration has been put on high alert. Second danger signal has been sounded and fishermen have been asked not to venture into the sea. The district collectors said that they had stored enough rations and medicines to meet the situation and relief camps were being set up. Control rooms have been set up at Visakhapatnam and Kakinada.

Meanwhile, the National Crisis Management Committee met in New Delhi to discuss the situation that may arise from the cyclone and the measures that need to be taken. The meeting was chaired by Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth and officials of Meterorological department and National Disaster Response Force as well as armed forces were present.

The NDRF is learnt to have placed five battalions in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and Bihar on high alert. They have also informed the AP government that six rescue and relief teams have already been deployed at Srikakulam, Vijayanagaram, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts.