Cyclone Fani: Live updates

FANI claims two lives

According to preliminary reports, heavy winds of FANI have so far claimed two lives.  A man died in Nayagarh as a wall collapsed on him and the second death was reported from Rajnagar of Kendrapara district where a lady died after she fell down while going to the cyclone shelter home.

Fast winds continue to wreak havoc across coastal belt

 

Numerous reports are flowing in suggesting widespread devastation in coastal districts. Hundreds of trees uprooted, roads blocked, asbestos roofs blown and devastation continues.

Gale force winds bring Bhubaneswar to a standstill

Heavy winds uprooted many tress and blocked roads in Bhubaneswar. The ODRAF teams are braving the storm to clear the roads.

Heavy winds continue to batter Puri

Winds in Puri, are blowing at a maximum speed of 240-245 kmph and heavy to very heavy rains are continuing over the Odisha coast. After landfall, the impact is likely to reduce and it is likely to move towards West Bengal coast: IMD Hyderabad

 

Cyclone Fani hits Puri coast

Puri: As Fani, a severe cyclonic storm, hits Puri coast in Odisha, the impact of landfall process has started. Over 1 million people have been evacuated to safer places, official sources said, adding that landfall began at 8am. Part of the eye lies over land around 8.30am. The complete course of eye entering land will be completed in two hours. Current wind speed of cyclone is 175-185 kmph gusting to 195 kmph.

Landfall process of Fani begins, says SRC

Bhubaneswar: The landfall process of extremely severe cyclonic storm—Fani— has already begun in the coastal areas with Puri recording wind speed between 170-180 kmph. Fani is likely to hit the landmass shortly, says special relief commissioner Bishnupada Sethi. “Uprooting of trees has been reported from several places in and around Bhubaneswar. And no causality has been reported so far,” the SRC added.

Meanwhile, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Rajesh Verma and NDRF DIG KK Singh took stock of the situation at State Emergency Operation Centre here.

Fani landfall time draws closer

Bhubaneswar: The extremely severe cyclonic storm Fani is now 65km southeast of Gopalpur, 80km south-southwest of Puri and 280km east-northeast of Visakhapatnam. The current wind speed of the cyclone is 185-195kmph and at times it is reaching up to 205kmph.

Due to the effect of Fani, heavy rainfall has been reported throughout the night Thursday at most of the coastal districts. Gopalpur registered the maximum rainfall of 15cm followed by Puri 10cm, Bhubaneswar five centimeter, Paradip, Chandbali and Balasore (three each). The measurements were till 5.30am Friday morning. As the landfall of the cyclone draws near, heavy to torrential rainfall is expected in all these places.

Coast Guard deploys 4 ships, 34 disaster relief teams

New Delhi: As Cyclone Fani heads towards the eastern coast, the Indian Coast Guard has positioned 34 disaster relief teams at different spots and deployed four ships to handle any exigency.

“While # Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm #FANI lay centered 170 kms ENE of #Vishakhapatnam @India Coast Guard positions 34 Disaster Relief Teams #DRTs at #Vizag #Chennai #Paradip #Gopalpur #Haldia #Frazergunj & #Kolkata besides 04 #CoastGuard ships at #Vizag & #Chennai @DefenceMinIndia,” (sic) the Coast Guard tweet.

Fani is billed as the most severe cyclonic storm since the super cyclone of 1999 that claimed close to 10,000 lives and left a trail of destruction in vast swathes of Odisha, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre.

Fani gathers speed as it hurls towards Puri

Bhubaneswar: The extremely severe cyclonic storm ‘Fani’ is now rapidly advancing towards the coastal areas of Odisha and currently it lay centred at 4.30hrs (IST) near latitude 18.90N and longitude 85.40E over northwest and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal about 110km south-southwest of Puri and 65km southeast of Gopalpur. Fani stated to be the first severe cyclonic storm to have formed in April is continuing to gain strength as it moves closer to the Odisha coast.

Odisha seeks additional 20 units of NDRF

Bhubaneswar: Considering the possible impact of the extreme severe cyclone Fani, the Odisha Government has sought 20 additional units of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). They will be deployed at various districts which will be affected by the cyclone. At present, 28 NDRF teams are positioned in 14 districts. Apart from the NDRF teams, 20 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) team and 525 teams fire service personnel have been deployed at various places of coastal and adjoining districts.

Fani advancing rapidly towards landfall

Bhubaneswar: Extremely severe cyclonic Storm ‘FANI’ has moved north-northeastwards with a speed of about 16 kmph in the last six hours and lay centred at 02.30 hours (IST) over northwest & adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal near latitude 18.6°N and longitude 85.2°E, about 150 km south-southwest of Puri, about 80 km southeast of Gopalpur and about 225 km northeast of Vishakhapatnam.

It is very likely to move north-northeastwards and cross Odisha coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali, south of Puri during the day with maximum sustained wind speeds of 170-180kmph which may reach up to 200kmph. Landfall process is very likely to continue till noon/afternoon of May 3.

After the landfall the system is very likely to continue to move north-northeastwards, weaken gradually and emerge into Gangetic West Bengal as a severe cyclonic storm with wind speed of 90-100kmph gusting to 115kmph by early morning of May 4. It is very likely to move further north-northeastwards and enter into Bangladesh, May 4 evening as a cyclonic storm with wind speed 60-70kmph gusting to 80kmph.

Gopalpur at about 4.30am (IST), May 3 have already recorded rainfall of 139mm rainfall while wind speed is close to 105kmph. It is spreading panic among the people in the town.

Meanwhile in a separate development, localites who were evacuated to shelter homes in Chilika, have alleged the lack facilities including drinking water.

Fani just 180kms away from Puri

Bhubaneswar: The extremely severe cyclonic storm, Fani is nearing landfall and is currently lying 180km south-southwest of Puri. It is slowly gathering speed and at the time of landfall the wind speeds may vary between 170kmph to 200kmph. According to the ADG of the regional IMD Centre here, Mrutunjay Mohapatra, the landfall might occur at any place between Puri and Brahmagiri. The city as the night progresses is also experiencing continuous rains.

Fani closing in on Puri

The extremely severe cyclonic storm ‘Fani’ is slowly moving towards Puri. The storm currently lay centered at about 200km south-southwest of Puri and 190km east-northeast of Visakhapatnam. Light to moderate rainfall has already started costal districts of Odisha with strong wind speed reaching up to 30-40kmph. The wind speed will increase substantially as Fani closes in on Puri district

Fani: 11 lakh evacuated as rain lashes coast

Bhubaneswar: As Cyclone Fani triggered downpour coupled with squally wind in coastal Odisha Thursday, the state government moved 11 lakh people to safety and advised the public to remain indoor on Friday, ahead of its landfall around 9.30 am close to Puri.

2nd arm of Cyclone Fani will be equally destructive as first: IMD

New Delhi: The weatherman has cautioned people to not lower guard after the first arm of ‘Cyclone Fani’ hits the east coast and moves forward, bringing the eye of the storm into the focus which is very calm. As the eye inches forward, the very calmness brings further destruction as the second arm of the cyclone is equally violent.

“There is a tendency to be complacent after the first arm of the cyclone moves ahead. The first arm brings destruction. The eye, which covers an area of 30-40 kms, is usually calm. But as the eye moves forward it is replaced by the second arm of the cyclone which is equally destructive,” said Mritunjay Mohapatra, head of the cyclone warning division and additional director general of the India Meteorological Department.

Fani: Odisha govt releases helpline numbers

Helpline numbers for 30 districts in Odisha

CM reviews preparations to tackle Cyclone Fani

Nearly 4.5 people evacuated all over Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Nearly 4.5 lakh people evacuated all over Odisha, process is on to relocate total of 11.5 lakh persons states Special Relief Commissioner Bishnupada Sethi

Indian Navy gives an insider’s view from its warships

Latest satellite image at 8:30pm

Latest satellite images of the cyclone where eye of the storm is clearly visible.

Relief and rescue teams test their gear

Relief and rescue teams put their gear to test before they get on with their job.

Indian Navy deploys seven warships

Indian Navy has deployed seven warships. Three of them following the eye of the storm and four others deployed off Tamil Nadu Coast. It has also kept six fixed wing aircraft and seven helicopters on standby at INS Dega in Vizag along with Divers, rubberised craft, medical teams and Humanitarian Assistance And Disaster Relief (HADR) relief material.

NDRF works round the clock

DIG (Operations) NDRF Randeep Kumar Rana briefed the media Thursday in New Delhi about its preparations to tackle ‘Cyclone Fani’. He said a total of 50 teams have been deployed in the three states of Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.

NDRF team reaches Basudevpur

The local administration has gone into an overdrive for tackling Fani in coastal pockets under Basudevpur block in Bhadrak Thursday with an NDRF team having already taken position. The 25-member team conducted awareness drive in 15 panchayats and two wards under the municipality.

Panic grips Kendrapara

The people of coastal Kendrapara district, especially Rajnagar and Mahakalapada blocks, are now in panic as the district is under red alert. The district administration and the fisheries department are warning people through public address systems to move to safer places.

Support from civil society pours in

Bhubaneswar based Humara Bachpan Trust (HBT) has involved around 60 to 65 of its staff who are attending cyclone preparedness meetings at block, district and municipal corporation levels in Bhubaneswar and, Kakatpur and Astaranga block of Puri district which are being organised by the administration.

Indian Railway opens helpline

10 trains cancelled from Bangalore

Indian Railways cancelled at least 10 express/mail trains for Thursday night between Bengaluru/Mysuru in Karnataka and Puri and Bhubaneswar in Odisha, Howrah in West Bengal and Guwahati in Assam, in view of the impending cyclone.

CHSE postpones exams and evaluation of answer-sheets

Deputy Exam Controller Prasant Das Thursday said that evaluation process of Plus-II answer sheets has been put on hold for the time being by Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE). The process will be suspended in districts likely to be affected by the cyclone. However, it will continue as usual in other districts. Further decision in this regard will be taken May 4 (Saturday) after reviewing the situation of the cyclone’s aftermath.

Naveen assures people

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Thursday said that the state is fully equipped to tackle Cyclone Fani and no one should panic.

Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) image of the cyclone

Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) image at 5:00pm this evening. Eye of the storm seen clearly in the image. In the last 6 hrs, the system has moved north-northeast with a speed of around 15kmph.  It is likely to move north-northeastwards further towards Odisha coast.

BMC braces for cyclone

Bhubaneswar city administration has chalked out a massive action plan to ensure smooth evacuation and rescue work. Chairing a multi-agency coordination meeting at the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Conference Hall Thursday, Works Secretary Krishan Kumar directed all agencies concerned to work as a team so that problems are addressed managed properly.

SRC confirms early landfall

Hours after the SRC Spokesperson spoke of an early landfall, SRC Bishnupada Sethi confirmed that the landfall will start between 8.00 to 10.00am and continue up to 12.00 noon on Friday, May 3.

ODRAF, NDRF, Fire Services ready to brave the storm

As many as 18 ODRAF teams and 25 NDRF teams along with local Fire services teams have been stationed at various districts for rescue and relief operation, informed SRC Bishnupada Sethi.

PCCF worries about spotted deer in Balukhand sanctuary

The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) has raised concern on the safety of spotted deer in Balukhand sanctuary, in view of the likely landfall of Cyclone Fani close to the place on Friday. The sanctuary is located along the Bay of Bengal coast, between the towns of Puri and Konark in Odisha.

Evacuation efforts in full swing

According to latest reports at 4:00pm on Thursday, as many as 3,31,000 people had already been evacuated, claimed Special Relief Commissioner’s office.

Air Vistara waives off cancellation and change fee for flights to Bhubaneswar

In view of the cyclone, Vistara airline has offered change of travel plans without any extra charge. The airline has also waived off the cancellation fee in case a passenger wants to cancel the tickets for Bhubaneswar and Kolkata flights for travel between May 2 and May 5.

Indigo cancels flight operations Friday

All IndiGo flights out of Bhubaneswar stands cancelled for May 3 Friday due to cyclone FANI, said the company. There are 24 such flights operating from the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA).

PM Modi reviews preparations to tackle Fani

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday chaired a high-level meeting to review preparedness for Cyclone FANI. The meeting was attended by Cabinet Secretary, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Additional Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, the Home Secretary and other senior officials from IMD, NDRF, NDMA and PMO among others.

Emergency measures

Spokesperson to the Special Relief Commissioner, Sangram Mohapatra announced Thursday that all educational institutions, shops and other business establishments will remain closed Friday due to Cyclone Fani. He also requested everyone to stay indoors and not to venture out unnecessarily.

Landfall earlier than expected

According to Special Relief Commissioner the cyclone might touchdown on landmass earlier than expected. It is likely to hit Puri coast in between 10:00am to noon Friday.

OSDMA issues fresh advisory

During the landfall, Ganjam, Puri ,Khorda, Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur districts may experience extremely Heavy rainfall with wind speed around 175 – 200 km/hr. Very likely to inundate low lying areas in  Ganjam, Puri, Khorda districts due to storm surge, the advisory reads.

Senior scientist of IMD talks about the degree and intensity of ‘Fani’

Senior Scientist of India Metereological Department (IMD), K Sathi Devi in conversation with Kuldeep Singh of Orissa POST talks regarding severe cyclonic storm ‘Fani’. According to IMD, Fani will hit Odisha coast tomorrow afternoon. Currently, it’s around 360 km away from Odisha coast.

Out of planned 8 lakh, over 25,000 evacuated so far

Two more special trains to evacuate tourists and visitors

First special train from Puri is already scheduled at 12 noon. The second train will reach Howrah at 3:00pm and the third special train  will reach there at 6:00pm. These trains will have stoppages at Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Jajpur, Keonjhar Road, Bhadrak, Balasore and Kharagpur.

ODRAF deployment begins in Puri

Deployment of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) personnel have begun in Puri. They will be part of relief and rescue operations in the holy town along with NDRF, fire services and other state agencies.

Confusion reigns among tourists

OrissaPOST caught up with Mr Bijay Jena, assistant director of the tourism department to find out about the arrangements made for the evacuation of tourists. Even though Jena said that a proper system is in place to help the visitors, some complained that they were not getting bus tickets to Kolkata and touts were having a field day.

Sailing banned in Chilika for five days

Khurda Collector Nirmal Chandra Mishra has informed that boat sailing has been banned in Chilika from Wednesday to Sunday – May 5. Next announcement will be made according to the situation.

Five special OSRTC buses carrying WB tourists leave for Kolkata

Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) deployed five buses to aid the evacuation efforts Thursday. These vehicles have been deployed to evacuate pilgrims and tourists of West Bengal from Puri – the site of likely landfall of the storm.

Flag atop Puri Srimandir snaps off

The flag atop Lord Jagannath temple in Puri snapped off due to heavy winds in the holy town. It is being replaced now. The people of Odisha consider this to an inauspicious sign.

Weather  forecast for Friday

Rainfall is likely to increase with moderate rainfall at most places and heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy falls (>20 cm) at isolated places over coastal Odisha and adjoining districts of interior Odisha Friday.

Weather update for Thursday

Under influence of this storm, light to moderate rainfall will be experienced at most places in the state with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over south coastal and adjoining interior Odisha Thursday.

Latest satellite image of the storm

As can be seen in this picture, the storm continues to intensify and developing an eye.

Indian Railways to run special trains

As the storm inches closer, Indian Railways has said that it will run a special train with reserved and unreserved berths from Puri at 12 pm on Thursday for swift evacuation of tourists. It will have stoppages at Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Jajpur, Kendujhar road, Bhadrak, Balasore and Kharagpur. The train will reach Bhubaneswar at about 1:30pm.

Cyclone ‘FANI’:May 2, 2019 Updates

Indian Navy deploys INS Sahyadri for relief and rescue efforts

This 6200 tonne Made-in-India Shivalik-class multi-role frigate will brave the storms to ensure that the relief and rescue efforts reach the needy on time. This ship is capable of carrying two HAL Dhruv or Seaking helicopters aboard.

Cuttack admin makes a last ditch effort to clean choked drains

Cuttack district administration was seen making desperate attempts to clean choked drains in the city before Fani brings massive amounts of rainfall and inundates the city. The cleaning effort was supervised by local MLA Pravat Biswal.

Centre will provide all possible help to Odisha, assures Dharmendra

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has assured that the Union Government will provide all possible support to the state during this time of crisis. The support would include man, machine and finance, he said pointing to the advance payment released by the Center Tuesday. He further promised to get the state two helicopters that will be used in relief and rescue operations.

12IAS, 11 IPS officers deployed to supervise relief & rescue ops

After announcing deployment of five senior IAS officers to supervise relief, rehabilitation and restoration works in some of the districts Wednesday, the state government Wednesday released a fresh and revised list of IAS and IPS officers to supervise the relief and rescue operations. According to the new list, 12 IAS and 11 IPS officers have been deployed in districts that are likely to be worst-hit. They have been asked to report to duty at their designated places by Wednesday afternoon.

Latest satellite image of the cyclone at 4:00pm

This is the latest satellite image of the cyclone taken at 4:00pm IST. As can be seen in this picture, a distinctive ‘eye of the storm’ is yet to be formed.

Evacuations in Khurda to begin tomorrow

As many as 1,00,000 people will be evacuated from low lying areas in this district.  Up to 3 NDRF units, 1 ODRAF team and 200-member-strong Civil Defence Force will take care of relief and rescue operation here.

ECOR announces changes in train movement

East Coast Railway has said that the train services between Bhadrak and Vizianagaram is likely to be stopped starting the evening of May 2. Railway passengers are advised to plan their travel accordingly.

Nandankanan to remain closed

Nandankanan zoological park authorities Wednesday said that the famed zoo and park will remain closed between May 2 and May 4 to ensure safety of animals and visitors. A fresh notification pertaining to reopening will be issued later based on the prevailing conditions.

Institutes closed, exams postponed but faculty members to continue

All the colleges and universities in Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Balasore & Mayurbhanj districts will remain closed from May 2 to May 4. However, the teaching and non-teaching staff will need to report to work for any emergency task that might be assigned to them.

All examinations in 164 colleges under Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) on May 2, 3 and 4 have been re-scheduled to May 25, 27 and 28 respectively.

Marine traffic deserted

A screengrab from Marinetraffic shows that the ships have moved away from the path of the cyclone. The usually busy and buzzing shipping route wears a forlorn look.

Navy fully prepared for relief and rescue ops: Adm Lanba

Indian Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba Wednesday assured that the Navy is fully prepared to cooperate in the relief and rescue operation, if need be. He added that his forces are already in touch with the Odisha and Andhra governments for hassle free operation.

No danger to EVMs, says CEO

Chief Electoral Officer Surendra Kumar in a press meet Wednesday assured that adequate precautionary measures are being taken to ensure the safety of EVMs during the cyclone.

Leaves of doctors cancelled

State government cancels leaves of doctors and other medical staff all the way till May 15. The Chief district Medical Officers (CDMO) have been asked to coordinate with his staff and ensure cent per cent attendance by this evening.

Likely path of the cyclone as predicted by JTWC

The image depicts the likely direction of FANI as predicted by Joint Typhoon Warncing Center (JTWC) of US Navy.

Bhubaneswar Police Commissioner reviews preparedness

Police Commissioner Satyajit Mohanty Wednesday convened a meeting to review the preparedness of police for the cyclone. Top officers of the Commissionerate were part of it.

OSDMA weather forecast

Based on the forecast of several meteorological agencies, OSDMA predicts ‘light to moderate rain at many places, heavy to very heavy rainfall at some places with heavy falls at isolated places is likely to be expected May 2 over the south coastal Odisha region’.

It goes on to add that the rainfall is likely to increase at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places over coastal Odisha May 3 and 4. Heavy to very heavy rain at most places with isolated extremely heavy falls at few places in Interior Odisha on May 3 and 4 is also possible.

OSDMA issues flash flood alert

In its latest bulletin, Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) suggests that flash flood is likely in several areas of Ganjam and Puri district in South Coastal and North Coastal Odisha.

28 teams of NDRF, 20 ODRAF units and fire services deployed

The SRC has directed all 28 teams of NDRF, 20 ODRAF units and other fire services units at the State’s disposal to be deployed in these areas on priority basis. He has also asked the district collectors of these districts to remain on high alert and put emergency evacuation, relief and rescue plans in place.

Five senior IAS officers to supervise relief and rescue operations

The government has deployed five top bureaucrats to supervise relief and rescue operations in five districts that are likely to be most affected. While Suresh Chandra Mohapatra has been asked to supervise Puri, PK Mohapatra will be in-charge in Jagatsinghpur, PK Jena in Kendrapara, Anil Kumar Samal in Jajpur and Balwant Singh will take care of operations in Balasore.

Cyclone Fani to make landfall May 3 near Puri

Bhubaneswar: Cyclone ‘Fani’ which has turned into a very severe cyclone according to the latest report provided by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) regional office here Wednesday morning is expected to make landfall May 3 afternoon. It is expected to happen at Balukhanda, near Puri. The wind speed before landfall would be about 175 kmph and the cyclone will hit areas of Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack (Niali), Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore and Mayurbhanj in Odisha before moving over to West Bengal.

The IMD bulletin has also said that the districts of Ganjam, Gajapati and Khurda will also be severely affected by the cyclone. It has stated that extensive damage can be expected in building structures due to the severity of the storm.

As per the IMD Bulletin at 8.30am based on the 5.30am forecast, ‘Fani’ has moved northwestwards with a speed of about 10 kmph in last six hours and lay centred about 680 km south-southwest of Puri  and 430 km south-southeast of Vishakhapatnam. It is very likely to move northwestwards during next 12 hours and thereafter recurve north-northeastwards and cross Odisha Coast near Satapada, Puri district May 3 afternoon with maximum sustained wind speed of 175-185 kmph which may even go up to 205 kmph.

Meanwhile in a separate development, Wednesday morning the Election Commission of India has lifted the model code of conduct (MCC) in 11 districts of Odisha to facilitate speedy recovery and rescue work in the aftermath of Cyclone Fani. The districts from which the MCC has been lifted are Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Ganjam, Gajapati, Cuttack, Khurda and Jajpur. The letter has already been seen to the Odisha government and has been addressed to the OSD attached to the Chief Secretary. According to the IMD report these districts may suffer extensive damage due to the effect of Cyclone Fani.

All educational institutions have been asked to remain closed from May 2 onwards in the districts mentioned above while the Puri administration has asked the tourists to leave by May 2 evening keeping in mind the severity of the storm.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked his officials and the national Crisis Management Committee to stay in touch with the states that will be affected by Cyclone Fani.

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