Bhubaneswar: Cyclone Jawad, the first Cyclone in 130 years to hit Odisha Coast is expected to make landfall on Puri coast and the maximum speed of wind is expected to remain around 100 KMPH. Speaking to mediapersons at Rajiv Bhawan, SRC Pradeep Kumar Jena has said that the latest indications show that Cyclone Jawad may cross north Puri coast and the maximum speed of the winds will be around 100 kilometers per hour. He said that the four districts of Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri and Jagatsingpur will be impacted most due to the Cyclone.
He also said that the government has issued red alert to the four districts and the administrations have been activated to face any challenge. Due to the impact of the Cyclone Jawad, heavy rains are expected in most of the coastal districts of Odisha. Heavy rains will pound Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Khordha, Cuttack, and other districts on the 4th and 5th December.
SRC Pradeep Jena also said that all the fishermen have returned to the coast and advisories have been issued to the districts to stay alert for any eventualities. People are requested to keep sufficient drinking water in storage and not to go for panic buying as sufficient amounts of dry food, potato and other items are available in the market. The government has pressed into action 266 teams of ODRAF, NDRF and Fire Services in the vulnerable districts for relief and rescue operations.
The deep depression over Bay of Bengal is expected to turn into a cyclonic storm in the next ten hours and cross Puri coast by the evening of 4th December with wind speeds of 90 to 100 kilometers. At 8: 30 am today the Cyclone is lay centered about 480 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam, 600 km south-southeast of Gopalpur and 700 km south-southwest of Paradip.