Cyclone Jawad forms over Bay of Bengal, close to the Vizag coast

Visakhapatnam: Cyclone Jawad is likely to reach north coastal Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha coast by the morning of December 4, informed the Meteorological Department (IMD), Amaravati Director Stella Samuel on Friday.

The storm was located nearly 400 kms away from Visakhapatnam as of Friday noon.

Although the storm is not making landfall on the coastal regions of the two states as per the observations of the present track records, there would be heavy to very heavy rainfalls accompanied with squally winds over the regions till Saturday noon, the weathermen hinted.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned the people and public administrations in North Coastal Andhra Pradesh and South Coastal Odisha to start pre-cyclone preparedness activities in the regions at the earliest as the cyclone Jawad is moving closer towards the coasts on Friday.

Upon warnings, the AP state government Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy instructed the collectors of north coastal districts to deploy the disaster response teams at the vulnerable places to mitigate the losses due to the storm.

A red colour warning has been issued for Andra Pradesh's Srikakulam, Vizianagram and Visakhapatnam districts for Saturday. The red colour warning has also been issued for the Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur districts of Odisha.

Greater Visakha civic authorities launched emergency phone numbers - 0891-2590100/27590102/2750089/2750090 and 2560820. Twenty one rehabilitation centers were opened at Vizag city, three NDRF teams with 45 personnel and SDRF teams were pressed into service.

“We have even declared holidays for schools on Friday and Saturday as part of the cyclone preparedness activity. We have been on high alert. We will take the support of the Indian Navy’s fleet and helicopters,” Visakhapatnam collector A.Mallikarjun told Deccan Chronicle.

IMD director for Andhra Pradesh S.Stella said that system was in the `Deep Depression` stage as on Friday morning and moved with a speed of 30kmph, located about 420km south-southeast of Vizag.

“The system will be reaching west central Bay of Bengal off north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha coast by Saturday. Thereafter, it may re-curve towards northeast wards. So, chances are very less to make landfall on the AP coast. The system is reaching near to Puri in Odisha but moving towards West Bengal over the sea from December 5,” Stella told Deccan Chronicle.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has earmarked 64 teams to tackle the impending cyclonic storm 'Jawad' that is expected to affect the states of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, a senior officer said on Friday.

NDRF Director General (DG) Atul Karwal told reporters during a briefing here that while 46 teams have been deployed or pre-positioned in the vulnerable states, 18 teams have been kept in reserve.

A single NDRF team has about 30 personnel who are equipped with pole cutters, electric saws to cut uprooted trees, inflatable boat and some other relief and rescue gadgets.

"We are confident of taking care of the situation," Karwal said, adding all preparations have been done by the federal contingency force to help the affected states and the citizens.

The NDRF head said the national crisis management committee (NCMC), a panel headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior officers have already reviewed the situation and these will continue till the cyclone hits coast on December 5 in Odisha.

The Visakhapatnam based Eastern Naval Command (ENC) on Friday stated that the Naval Officers-in-Charge at Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have carried out preparatory activities to combat the effects of Cyclone ‘Jawad’ and is in constant liaison with the State administrations for rendering assistance as required.

As part of the preparedness, 13 flood relief teams (FRT) and four diving teams are kept on standby to be deployed for assisting in the rescue and relief operations.

Three FRT and two diving teams have been dispatched to Odisha from Visakhapatnam to augment the existing resources. Four ships are on standby with Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) bricks, diving, and medical teams to render assistance in the most affected areas along the Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coast.

Naval aircraft are kept ready at Naval Air Stations, INS Dega at Visakhapatnam and INS Rajali near Chennai to undertake aerial surveys of the most affected areas, casualty evacuation, and airdrop of relief material as required.

In view of the cyclone Jawad, around 65 trains from the Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh scheduled for December 3 and 4 have been cancelled, informed the East Coast Railways on Friday.