Bhubaneswar: With Cyclonic Storm Phethai moving closer to the Andhra Pradesh coast and is scheduled to make the landfall on Monday afternoon, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted isolated heavy rainfall in most parts of south and western Odisha.
According to an IMD release, the cyclonic storm over the south-west and adjoining south-east Bay of Bengal has moved further in the north-north-west direction with a speed of 13 kmph and lay centred over south-west and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal about 160 km south-south-east of Machilipatnam and 190 km south-south-east Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh at about 8.30 am this morning.
It is very likely to move in the north-north-west direction and cross Andhra Pradesh coast after the landfall along Kakinada in the afternoon. However, due to unfavourable environmental conditions, it is likely to weaken slightly before landfall and cross the coast as a cyclonic storm with the speed of 70 kmph-90 kmph.
Under its influence, isolated heavy rainfall is likely to occur over the districts of Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada and Koraput in the next 24 hours (December 16), isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall would occur in Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada and Gajapati districts in the subsequent 24 hours (December 17) and isolated heavy rainfall in Ganjam, Puri, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nuapada, Bargarh, Balangir, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur and Sundargarh in the subsequent 12 hours till 8.30 am on December 18.
Besides, strong wind speed reaching 30-40 kmph gusting to 50 kmph is likely to blow along and off the south Odisha coast on December 17.
Meanwhile, light to moderate rainfall has begun in these aforesaid districts since Sunday afternoon.
The IMD has advised the fishermen not to venture along and off the south Odisha coast and into the deep sea areas in the south-west and the west-central Bay of Bengal till December 17.
Besides, distant cautionary signal no-3 has been hoisted at Gopalpur port and no-2 at the remaining ports.