Andhra Pradesh: Cyclone Jawad to weaken before landfall

Visakhapatnam: Despite reports from weather office that the cyclonic storm 'Jawad' is likely to weaken into a deep depression before making landfall near Puri in Odisha on Sunday, the state administration has put district collectors, revenue and police departments on high alert in Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam and East Godavari districts.

As a precautionary measure, people from low-lying areas have already been shifted to safer places. More than 60 relief centres have been opened to lodge people from vulnerable areas, the Andhra Pradesh government said.

The India Meteorological Department on Saturday said that very heavy rainfall is expected in north coastal Andhra Pradesh and south coastal Odisha. A red alert was issued for Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts. The red alert was also issued for Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts of Odisha.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has earmarked a total of 64 teams to tackle the situation arising out of the impending cyclonic storm 'Jawad'.

After landfall in Odisha, it is expected to weaken further and continue to move north-north eastwards along the Odisha coast towards the West Bengal coast, IMD said in its latest bulletin.

According to reports, a teenager was killed as heavy rain lashed Srikakulam district on Saturday. Though the weather remained overcast, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts did not experience much rain.

Srikakulam district, however, received a downpour of over 11 cm, with the Tekkali revenue division recording the maximum of up to 5.7 cm at isolated places.

In Vajrapukotturu mandal, heavy winds uprooted a coconut tree that fell on a teenager Gorakala Indu (16), killing him instantly. State Fisheries Minister Sidiri Appala Raju, who hails from the district, visited the victim's family in the Palasa hospital and promised all help.

The Fisheries Minister visited relief camps in Palasa town and later oversaw the sanitation works. District Collector L Srikesh Balaji visited Santabommali mandal and inspected the relief camps and the food being provided to the accommodated persons.

He asked them to be cautious and stay indoors till the storm subsided.

Meanwhile, the South Central Railway cancelled more than 60 Express trains on the east coast route on Saturday and Sunday in view of the cyclonic storm.