Cyclone over Orissa moves away

The Orissa government on Tuesday heaved a sigh of relief as the cyclonic storm, formed over the east-central and adjoining north Bay of Bengal, began to move away from the state towards the east. Met office sources said the storm now lay centred about 380 km south-east of Balasore.

The system was likely to intensify further and move in a northerly direction and could head towards the Bangladesh coast, sources said. It was expected to cross the Bangladesh coast by Wednesday evening or night, they added. Earlier, the storm remained practically stationary about 320 km off Balasore and coastal districts in the state had been alerted.