Odisha On High Alert As Titli Intensifies Into A Severe Cyclonic Storm

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has taken all precautionary measures against Cyclone Titli, which intensified into a severe cyclonic storm early on Wednesday morning.

In a release issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) at 9.45 am on Wednesday, the cyclonic storm ‘Titli’ over the west-central Bay of Bengal, moving towards the north-north-west direction at a speed of about 10 kmph in the last six hours, intensified into a severe cyclonic storm at about 5.30 am and lay centered at about 370 km south-south-east of Gopalpur and 310 km south-east of Kalingapatnam. It is very likely to intensify further into a very severe cyclonic storm during the next 18 hours and move in the north-north-west direction and cross Odisha and adjoining north of Andhra Pradesh coasts between Gopalpur and Kalingapatnam around October 11 morning. Thereafter, it is very likely to re-curve towards the north-east and move towards Gangetic West Bengal across Odisha and weaken gradually.

Going by the modular study, the IMD has issued a red warning for the seven districts of Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and with isolated and extremely heavy rainfall and orange warning for the eight districts of Khurda, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Rayagada, Kandhamal and Keonjhar and with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places on October 10.

Besides, the IMD has also issued a red warning for the 18 districts of Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Rayagada, Koraput, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Boudh, Balangir, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Khurda, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Bhadrak and Balasore on October 11.

The release also said that the gale wind speed reaching 60-70 kmph with gusting up to 80 kmph will blow along and off the Odisha coast from the afternoon on Wednesday, which will further increase to 120-130 kmph with gusting up to 145 kmph along and off the south Odisha coast and 70-80 kmph with gusting up to 90 kmph along and off north Odisha coast from the night onwards.

While the sea condition will be very rough over the west-central Bay of Bengal, it will be extremely rough over the west-central and adjoining north Bay of Bengal and along and off the south Odisha coast from the night on October 10 till forenoon on October 11.

Besides, the cyclonic storm will surge to a height of about 1 metre above the astronomical tide and inundate the low-lying areas of Ganjam, Khurda and Puri districts at the time of landfall, the release said.

It also said that the cyclonic storm will mostly affect Gajapati, Ganjam, Khurda, Nayagarh and Puri districts and damage thatched huts, houses, power and communication lines. There will be major damage to kutcha road and minor damage to pucca roads. Under the impact of the cyclonic storm, big trees will be uprooted. Besides, it will also damage the paddy crops and other horticulture plants. There is also a possibility of sea water inundating low- lying areas following the erosion of kutcha embankments, it pointed out.

The IMD has advised the state government to suspend fishing operations and evacuate the coastal hutment dwellers to safer places.

It has also advised the fishermen not to venture into the sea along and off the Odisha coast and central and north Bay of Bengal till October 12 and asked the port authorities to hoist local warning signal no.4.