Cyclone Fani makes landfall in Puri, Odisha HIGHLIGHTS
Cyclone Fani made landfall in Odisha on Friday morning, bringing with it gusty winds and sheets of rain. The state is on high alert, with teams from the Army, Navy, Coast Guard and NDRF stationed across the coast and on stand-by for rescue and relief operations.
The IMD, in its latest bulletin, said the process of landfall began at 8 am Friday morning, and would be completed by 11 am. Landfall is when the eye of the storm meets landmass.
The last time such a powerful cyclonic storm had emerged in the Bay of Bengal at this time of the year, in 2008, it had killed more than 1.25 lakh people in Myanmar. But that was mainly because of the lack of a sophisticated warning system and enough logistical preparedness to evacuate people.
Also read | How do cyclones get their names?
Cyclone Fani, on the other hand, has been continuously monitored ever since it developed southeast of Sri Lanka about a week ago. Warnings have been issued every few hours to fishermen and people living in coastal regions, and a massive emergency preparedness has been mounted.
In an interview to The Indian Express, K J Ramesh, Director General of IMD, said, “In this cyclone, there are not going to be any surprises in terms of change of track or intensity. These are the usual points of concern. No such uncertainty exists as far as this cyclone is concerned… What we need to do is to give hourly updates on intensity changes and pockets of heavy precipitation and strong winds… We want to make this a zero-casualty cyclone, something that only Hong Kong has done so far.”
First photos from Odisha coast as severe storm makes landfall
Fani is not just a severe cyclone but an “extremely severe cyclone”. Tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal are graded according to maximum wind speeds at their centre.
Quick-reaction team of Navy from INS Chilka provided emergency assistance in nearby villages in cutting and clearing of trees which had fallen due to Cyclone Fani. Quick-reaction medical team of Navy conducted mobile medical camps at various villages around Chilka, reported ANI.
Cyclone Fani is very likely to emerge into Gangetic West Bengal with wind speed of 80-90kmph gusting to 105kmph by early Saturday morning.
'Very severe' cyclonic storm Fani has moved northeastwards in last six hours and weakened into 'severe' cyclonic storm.
Cyclone 'Fani' barrelled through Odisha on Friday, unleashing copious rain and windstorm that gusted up to 175 kmph, killing at least eight people, blowing away thatched houses, and swamping towns and villages, officials said. While three people, including a teenage boy, were reported killed in Puri district, three perished in Bhubaneswar and nearby areas. Flying debris from a concrete structure fatally struck a woman in Nayagarh. An elderly woman died of heart attack at a relief shelter in Kendrapara district, official sources said.
Cyclone 'Fani' barrelled through Odisha on Friday, unleashing copious rain and windstorm that gusted up to 175 kmph, killing at least eight people, blowing away thatched houses, and swamping towns and villages, officials said. While three people, including a teenage boy, were reported killed in Puri district, three perished in Bhubaneswar and nearby areas. Flying debris from a concrete structure fatally struck a woman in Nayagarh. An elderly woman died of heart attack at a relief shelter in Kendrapara district, official sources said.
Rains lashed parts of Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh as a fall out of Cyclone 'Fani', which hit the Odisha coast Friday, but no human casualties have been reported, officials said. Nine head of cattle and 12 sheep were killed in rain-related incidents, while over 2,000 electricity poles were uprooted because of high velocity winds and 218 cellular phone towers damaged, they said. (PTI)
Gale wind speed reaching 90 to 100 kmph, gusting to 115 kmph is very likely along and off West Bengal coast from midnight, while in the interior parts the wind speed may reach upto 80 kmph, according to the Met department. Eastern and South Eastern Railway cancelled several trains to prevent any injury to passengers or damage to railway property. "As a precautionary measure keeping in view the safety of passengers, SER's EMU service will run as per Sunday's schedule on May 3," its spokesman Sanjay Ghosh said. (PTI)
The Meghalaya government has sought deployment of a platoon of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in the state in view of Cyclone Fani, officials said Friday. The extremely severe cyclonic storm made landfall in Odisha on Friday morning. It is gradually heading towards West Bengal and from there it is likely to move towards the north-east, the officials said. One NDRF platoon, comprising 25 to 30 personnel, has been sought from Guwahati, Meghalaya Revenue and Disaster Minister Kyrmen Shylla said. The IMD has warned of thundersquall accompanied with gusty winds and heavy rains for the next 48 hours across the northeastern states, including Meghalaya. "We have requested the NDRF to deploy at least one platoon at the state capital. The NDRF personnel would assist the state in case of any emergency," Shylla told PTI.
Cyclone Fani will alter the weather conditions in Nepal and bring heavy rainfall and snowfall in the Himalayas, meteorologists warned on Friday. The powerful cyclone, strongest to hit India in 20 years, made landfall at around 8 am in India's eastern state of Odisha. Large areas in the seaside pilgrim town of Puri and other places were submerged as heavy rains battered the entire coastal belt of the state affecting about 11 lakh people. Although the cyclone is not likely to make its way to Nepal, light to moderate rainfall coupled with lightning and windstorm will occur in some parts of eastern and central regions on Friday and Saturday. The weather will get a bit extreme, the Meteorological Forecasting Division warned. They said the cyclone will affect the regular pattern of weather conditions in some parts of the country. “The cyclone is not likely to make its way to Nepal. However, lightning and showers will occur in some parts of eastern and central regions,” a statement issued by the MFD said. (PTI)
Army: 03 columns standby at Gopalpur, 2 columns & 2 Engineering Task Force (ETFs)are standby at Ranchi& 4 columns and 4 ETFs are standby at Panagarh for Odisha. 10 columns and 3 ETFs are standby at Secunderabad for Andhra Pradesh. Columns and ETFs also standby at Barrackpore, Kolkata, Kanchrapara&Kankinara for West Bengal.
Navy: Deployed 6 ships on Eastern seaboard for relief ops. 5 ships, 6 aircraft & 7 helicopters standby for rescue & relief ops at Vizag. Disaster Response Teams, Medical Teams & Diving teams standby at Chennai, Vizag, Chilka& Kolkata.
Air Force: Deployed 2 C-17, 2 C-130, 4 AN-32 standby for relief tasks. 2 MI-17 at Jagdalpur& 4 MI-17 at Ranchi standby for rescue & relief ops.
Coast Guard: 6 Ships, 6 standby for rescue & relief ops. 12 Disaster Response Teams standby at Gopalpur, Paradip, Haldia&Fraserganj for rescue & relief tasks.
Advance release of funds from SDRF to State Governments of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal:
Rs. 340.875 cr – for Odisha
Rs. 235.50 cr – for West Bengal
Rs. 200.25 cr – for Andhra Pradesh
Rs. 309.375 cr – for Tamil Nadu
Before Cyclone Fani made landfall in Odisha, that resulted in the deaths of three people, the Indian Navy put out photos of the choppy waters experienced by ships at sea just before the storm hit the eastern coast. The photos posted on Twitter by the Indian Navy’s official handle on Thursday shows one of the ships experiencing a roll due to the rough seas. The term roll is used to describe the rocking of a vessel in water caused by waves or other external factors. READ MORE HERE
Civil aviation secretary monitoring situation, DGCA will issue revised advisories to airlines when necessary, says Suresh Prabhu.
The AIIMS PG 2019 examination, scheduled to be conducted on May 5, has been cancelled for the candidates having centres in Bhubaneswar. The Ministry of Health in a tweet mentioned that the AIIMS PG examination for centres in Bhubaneswar has been cancelled due to extensive damage caused in the city due to Fani cyclone. READ MORE HERE
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) DIG Randeep Rana said not many casualties were reported so far as precautionary measures were in place. The state administration had evacuated nearly 11 lakh people two days ahead of the cyclone from about 10,000 villages and 52 urban agglomerations in probably the largest evacuation exercise at the time of a natural calamity in the country. The evacuees have been accommodated in over 4,000 shelters, including 880 specially designed cyclone centres. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) DIG Randeep Rana said not many casualties were reported so far as precautionary measures were in place. The state administration had evacuated nearly 11 lakh people two days ahead of the cyclone from about 10,000 villages and 52 urban agglomerations in probably the largest evacuation exercise at the time of a natural calamity in the country. The evacuees have been accommodated in over 4,000 shelters, including 880 specially designed cyclone centres.
According to the National Emergency Response Centre, under the home ministry, power and telecommunication lines in Puri district of Odisha are completely down and restoration work is on. Rescuers belonging to the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Navy, Coast Guard, Army and Air Force have been deployed in a mass operations, closely monitored by the central government. "The landfall process started Friday 8 am close to Puri and the eye of the system has completely moved into land by 10 am. The 'extremely severe' cyclonic storm 'Fani' weakened into 'very severe' cyclonic storm and lay centred at 11:30 am about 10 km to east of Bhubaneswar and 30 km to the south of Cuttack," a home ministry statement said.
Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the country's biggest fuel retailer, Friday said it has made arrangements to ensure uninterrupted supply of petrol, diesel, LPG and jet fuel in Odisha and West Bengal that faced a category-4 cyclone. "In the wake of the cyclone Fani making landfall in Odisha earlier today (Friday), IOC is fully geared up and ensuring uninterrupted fuel supply from its locations in Odisha and West Bengal on the east coast," the company said in a statement. "Adequate stock of petroleum products such as petrol, diesel, LPG, kerosene and aviation fuel is available. The Corporation (IOC) is also actively assisting the district administration in evacuation, rescue and relief activities," the statement said. (PTI)
Normal life in and around Kolkata was thrown out of gear on Friday as cyclonic storm 'Fani' made landfall in neighbouring Odisha. Squally winds and rains hit Kolkata leading to waterlogging and traffic congestion. 'Fani' is likely to reach West Bengal by Friday evening. Coastal areas of the state also experienced heavy rains along with strong winds. "The eye of the storm is likely to be weakened when it enters West Bengal. The wind speed will be around 100 kmph to 110 kmph," an official of the meteorological department said. (PTI)
So far, we have not received any reports about the loss of life in the sea due to Cyclone Fani: Indian Coast Guard
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said over Rs 1,000 crore had been released in advance for the states affected by Cyclone Fani. Addressing an election rally here, he said the government was with the people in times of crises. A detailed review meeting was held and he had been given the latest updates on Cyclone Fani, Modi said as the extremely severe cyclonic storm hit Odisha on Friday morning. "Lakhs of families are affected by a cyclone in the coastal areas of Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and the Centre is in touch with the state governments. I got the latest update from officers sometime ago and also held a detailed review meeting yesterday. More than Rs 1,000 crore have been released in advance," Modi told the rally in Rajasthan's Hindaun town, located in Karauli district. (PTI)
(Source: PTI)
Three people were killed in separate incidents as cyclone Fani battered the Odisha coast Friday, officials said. A teenager was killed when a tree came crashing down on him at a place within Sakhigopal police station area limits in Puri district. Flying debris from a concrete structure hit a woman in Nayagarh district when she had gone to fetch water, killing her. In Debendranarayanpur village in Kendrapara district, a 65-year-old woman died after a suspected heart attack at a cyclone shelter, official information reaching here said. (PTI)
Three people died in the cyclonic storm Fani (pronounced Foni) as it weakened from an 'extremely severe' to 'very severe' cyclonic storm, and is predicted to further weaken to a 'severe storm' in the next six hours.
Relief efforts are already underway in coastal Odisha, with authorities clearing uprooted trees from roads and doctors conducting check-ups etc.
The Indian Oil Corporation will ensure petrol, diesel, LPG and jet fuel is supplied across Odisha and West Bengal despite Cyclone Fani. "In the wake of the cyclone Fani making landfall in Odisha earlier today (Friday), IOC is fully geared up and ensuring uninterrupted fuel supply from its locations in Odisha and West Bengal on the east coast," the company said in a statement, reported PTI.
A day after the Election Commission withdrew the Model Code of Conduct in 11 coastal district of Odisha, the poll body Friday relaxed it in four districts of Andhra Pradesh too. This is to help facilitate rehabilitation work in these areas.
While addressing a poll rally in Rajasthan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "We have gathered here today. At the same time, the people living in the coastal areas in eastern and southern India are facing an extremely severe cyclone. The Centre is in continuous contact with the governments in Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry."
Cyclone Fani has made landfall along the coast of Odisha near Puri. The storm is likely to pass through Khurda, Cuttack, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore in the state before entering West Bengal, reported PTI. Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha, will also be hit by gusty wind of around 140 kmph. The storm will weaken as it enters Bengal. Other states which will see marginal impact include Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and parts of the northeast. Bangladesh, too, is on alert.
Due to Cyclone Fani, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Indian Railways has taken precautionary measures and cancelled several flights and trains that pass through Odisha. The AAI has closed the Kolkata airport today and tomorrow. The Railways has cancelled over 100 trains travelling in the south and east. A special train will operate from Visakhapatnam in Andhra to Mumbai with the timings and stoppages of Konark Express (11020), ANI reported.
As Cyclone Fani made landfall in Odisha, a baby was born at the Mancheswar Railway Hospital! Baby Fani? Over 1,000 pregnant women were shifted to hospitals before Cyclone Fani made landfall in Odisha as a precautionary measure.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has operationalised ‘1938’ as the helpline number for Cyclone Fani. The Railways has also listed numbers (1800-3457401, 1800-3457402) for the public. Region-specific numbers are as follows: Bhubaneswar(0674-2303060, 2301525, 2301625), Khurda Road (0674-2490010, 2492511, 2492611), Sambalpur (0663- 2532230, 2533037, 2532302), Visakhapatnam– (0891- 2746255, 1072), Puri- 06752-225922, Bhadrak- 06784-230827, Cuttack- 0671-2201865, Berhampur- 0680-2229632.
Cyclone Fani, which has slammed Odisha with wind speeds of up to 175 kmph, has already caused a trail of destruction. From uprooted trees to broken walls, here's a look at the situation in the state right now.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will stay in Kharagpur, near the coastal belt and monitor the situation herself, today as well as tomorrow. All her political campaigns for the two days have been cancelled.
The IMD has confirmed that Cyclone Fani has made landfall in Odisha, and is now likely to move north-northeastwards and weaken into a "very severe cyclonic storm" in the next six hours.
The Navy, in a statement, has said that it is constantly monitoring Cyclone Fani and has additional ships and aircraft on standby at Visakhapatnam for immediate deployment to the most affected areas.
In an interview to The Indian Express, K J Ramesh, Director General of IMD, said he hopes there would be no casualties due to Cyclone Fani. "In this cyclone, there are not going to be any surprises in terms of change of track or intensity. These are the usual points of concern. No such uncertainty exists as far as this cyclone is concerned… What we need to do is to give hourly updates on intensity changes and pockets of heavy precipitation and strong winds… We want to make this a zero-casualty cyclone, something that only Hong Kong has done so far.
The process of landfall along the Odisha coast begun at 8 am this morning, and will be completed in the next 30 minutes. This means the eye of the storm will enter land shortly. Odisha is bracing for impact. Currently, wind speeds are at 175-185 kmph to 195 kmph. Puri is reporting the highest wind speeds at 142-174 kmph. This is one of the worst storms in the last decade to emerge from the Bay of Bengal.
Fani is not just a severe cyclone but an “extremely severe cyclone”. There have been only 14 instances of a “severe cyclone” forming in the Bay of Bengal region in April since 1891, and only one of them, which formed in 1956, touched the Indian mainland. Cyclone Fani is unusual because of the place it originated — very close to the equator — and the long route it has taken to reach landmass. Read our explainer here.
Cyclone Fani has made landfall in Odisha. The state is on high alert, with the NDRF, Army, Navy and Coast Guard on stand-by for relief efforts. The IMD, which hopes to make it zero-casualty, is monitoring the situation and putting out continuous alerts. Follow this space for the latest news.
In view of very severe cyclonic storm Fani scheduled to landfall near Puri on 3 May, it has been decided by the state govt to disconnect the power supply when the wind speed reaches 50 km/hr as a precautionary measure for the safety of people & equipment.
"Once the wind speed reduces, power supply shall be restored in a phased manner after necessary checking of electrical installations," govt says.
As Cyclone Fani is due to make landfall on Friday, the Indian Navy has deployed three naval ships so that it can launch rescue operation after the cyclone hits the coastline of Odisha.
"Indian naval ships Sahyadri, Ranvir and Kadmatt with relief material and medical teams have been deployed so that they can commence rescue operation as soon as the cyclone crosses the coast," Navy spokesperson Capt D K Sharma was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
"As #CycloneFani approaches, I urge Congress workers in Odisha, Andhra & West Bengal to warn people in their surrounding areas of the approaching danger & to help those in need," Congress president Rahul Gandhi tweeted.
"Stay safe. This danger will soon pass. You are in my thoughts and prayers tonight," he added.
(PTI)