Visakhapatnam: According to the Indian Metrological Department (IMD), Fani was centred at 360 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam at around 2.30 pm on Wednesday. The extremely severe cyclonic storm is likely to move north westwards during the next 12 hours and thereafter recurve in the north-north-east direction and is expected to cross the Odisha coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali, south of Puri, around May 3 afternoon with maximum sustained wind speeds of 175-185 kmph gusting to 205 kmph.
The IMD has warned of extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in north coastal Andhra Pradesh.
Naval ships at Visakhapatnam are standing by with relief material for immediate deployment to the most affected areas to undertake a humanitarian aid distress relief (HADR) operation. In addition, 11 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams were deployed in Srikakulam district and NDRF teams in Vizianagaram district.
North coastal Andhra Pradesh is really worried about Fani because though the cyclone is moving towards Odisha, high tides are rising up to six metres in Visakhapatnam.
The Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) of Andhra Pradesh has warned that there will be heavy to very heavy rains in the districts of Vizianagaram and Srikakulam on Thursday and Friday, while Visakhapatnam will be less impacted.
RTGS has also announced that tides are rising 4 to 6 metres and the sea is very rough across north coastal Andhra Pradesh.
Apart from mechanised boats, 4711 non-mechanised boats were also called back from the sea.
