03 May,2019 09:12 AM IST | | mid-day online desk
This Wednesday, May 1, 2019 photo provided by NASA shows a satellite view of Cyclone Fani. Indian authorities have evacuated hundreds of thousands of people along the country's eastern coast ahead of the cyclone moving through the Bay of Bengal. Pic/AFP
New Delhi: The landfall process of extremely severe Cyclone Fani began nearly at 8 am on Friday close to Puri in Odisha, with the area recording a wind speed of 145 kilometers per hour, the IMD said.
Mritunjay Mohapatra, in-charge of the Cyclone Warning Division of the India Meteorological Department, said the process of landfall will continue for the next three hours. The area along Puri is witnessing winds with a speed of 145 kilometers per hour that could reach up to 180-200 kmph, which could bring an "extensive damage", he said.
A cyclone making a landfall implies that the first arm of the cyclone has reached the land. The eye of the cyclone, which is calm, is nearly 30 kilometres.
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In the wake of the cyclonic storm, the Odisha administration has evacuated over 11 lakh people from the vulnerable districts since Thursday. More than 3 lakh people have been evacuated from Ganjam district alone, followed by 1.3 lakh from Puri district where landfall is expected. About 5000 kitchens are operating to serve people in shelters.
The IMD has warned of a storm surge of about 1.5 metres which may inundate low-lying coastal areas of Ganjam, Khurda, Puri, and Jagatsinghpur districts at the time of landfall. The government said that 10,000 villages and 52 towns located in nine districts in Odisha will be affected.
The cyclonic storm is very likely to move north-northeastwards and cross the Odisha coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali, south of Puri during forenoon with maximum sustained wind speed of 170-180 kmph gusting to 200 kmph.
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Edited by mid-day online desk with inputs from Agencies
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