Yellow Level Warnings Issued for Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘FANI’

Govt issued Yellow message that means 'to take action and get ready to go to shelter', cyclone Alert for Odisha, West Bengal and Srikakulam, Vijayanagaram & Visakhapatnam Districts of Andhra Pradesh Coasts

New Delhi: Government has updated cyclonic storm 'FANI'(pronounced as 'FONI') under 'Extremely Severe' category and issued a yellow message for the eastern coastal areas. The yellow message stands for severe warning 'to take action and get ready to go to shelter'. The storm moved northwestwards with a speed of about 14 kmph in last six hours and lay centred at 0830 hrs IST of 01st May, 2019 over West-central Bay of Bengal near latitude 14.1°N and longitude 83.9°E, about 660 km south-southwest of Puri (Odisha) and 400 km south-southeast of Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).
It is very likely to move northwestwards during next 12 hours and thereafter recurve north-northeastwards and cross Odisha Coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali, around Puri during 3rd May afternoon with maximum sustained wind of speed 170-180 kmph gusting to 200 kmph.

Naval ships and aircraft on standby for rescue

Eastern Naval Command(ENC) is closely monitoring the movement of the Cyclonic Storm. Ships at Visakhapatnam are standing by with relief material for immediate deployment to the most affected areas to undertake Humanitarian Aid Distress Relief (HADR) operation. Diving and medical teams are also kept ready augmenting rescue and relief efforts in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Naval aircraft are kept ready at Naval Air Stations, INS Dega and INS Rajali to undertake an aerial survey of the most affected areas, casualty evacuation and airdrop of relief material as required by the State Administration.

Heavy rainfall warning

Ministry of earth sciences has issued a warning of rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall and extremely heavy falls, that is more than 20 cm at isolated places very likely over north coastal Andhra Pradesh (Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam and Vijayanagaram Districts) and Odisha on 2nd May and with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places on 3rd May over same area, Gangetic West Bengal and heavy at isolated places over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Arunachal Pradesh, Assam & MeghalayaSikkim on 4th May.

Wind warning

Gale wind speed reaching 180-190 kmph gusting to 210 kmph is prevailing over the westcentral Bay of Bengal, off north Tamilnadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh Coast during next 24 hours and decrease thereafter.

Storm surge Warning

The storm surge of about 1.5-meter height above astronomical tide is very likely to inundate low lying areas of Ganjam, Khurda, Puri & Jagatsinghpur Districts of Odisha at the time of landfall.

Fishermen Warning

The fishermen are advised not to venture into deep sea areas of Southwest & adjoining the southeast Bay of Bengal during next 12 hours; Southwest & adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal, along & off Puducherry, north Tamilnadu & south Andhra Pradesh coasts till 1st May; west-central Bay of Bengal, along & off north Andhra Pradesh Coast during 1-3 May and northwest & adjoining West-central Bay of Bengal along & off Odisha and West Bengal coasts from 2-4 May.