Bhubaneswar: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Tuesday said that the low pressure area formed over South Thailand would convert into a cyclonic storm by December 3 and cross Odisha and North Andhra Pradesh coast by December 4 morning.
The IMD said the low pressure area, which now lies over South Thailand & neighbourhood, is likely to move west northwestward and concentrate into a depression by December 2 and further, intensify into a cyclonic storm over Central Bay of Bengal during subsequent 24 hours.
Thereafter, it is likely to move northwestwards, intensify further and reach north Andhra Pradesh–Odisha coasts around December 4 morning. Under its influence rainfall activities will commence from the evening of December 3 next and heavy to very heavy with isolated extremely heavy falls is very likely during December 4 and 5 over districts of coastal Odisha and adjoining interior Odisha.
It said that heavy rainfall is very likely to occur at isolated places over the districts of Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri and Jagatsinghpur on December 3 and issued yellow warning for these districts.
It also predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places over the districts of Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Khordha, Nayagarh, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jajpur with extremely heavy falls at one or two places over the districts of Ganjam, Puri and Jagatsinghpur and issued orange warning for these districts for December 4.
The local Met office has already sounded an orange warning for Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Jaipur, Cuttack Keonjhar, Dhenkanal and Mayurbhanj districts for December 5 next.
The farmers were advised to shift their harvest paddy to safer places and postpone sowing of rabi crops like Green gram, black gram and Mustard and vegetables like potato, Onion and coriander.
The met predicted squally wind speed reaching 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph over southeast and adjoining east central Bay of Bengal, December 2.
Gale winds speed reaching 65-75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph likely to prevail over central Bay of Bengal from the early morning of December 3 and gradually increase becoming 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph over northwest and adjoining west central Bay of Bengal from the morning of December 4 for the subsequent 24 hours.
Squally wind speed reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph likely to commence along and off north Andhra Pradesh – Odisha coast from the midnight of December 3 and increase gradually becoming 70-80 kmph with gusting to 90 kmph from December 4 afternoon for the subsequent 12 hours, the IMD said.
The sea condition would be high over central Bay of Bengal from December 2 and high to very high over westcentral and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal from the early morning of December 4 for the subsequent 24 hours.
In view of this, the fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea and those who are at mid sea have been advised to return to the coast by the morning of December 2.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has reviewed the preparedness made to tackle the possible cyclone with senior officials. He asked the agriculture department to take all possible measures to protect harvested paddy from farmers. The fisheries department was directed to strictly implement the advisory for fishermen, said Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) PK Jena. Chief Secretary SC Mahapatra along with SRC will hold meeting with concerned Collectors and agencies