Cyclone Gulab: Red Warning Issued for 7 Odisha Districts

Bhubaneswar: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) today predicted that a depression that formed over the east-central Bay of Bengal and the neighbourhood on Friday and intensified into a deep depression on Saturday is likely to further intensify into a cyclone over the next 12 hours.

The cyclone Gulab is likely to cross north Andhra Pradesh-south Odisha coasts by the evening of 26th September with a wind speed to 70 to 80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph on Sunday evening, the IMD predicts.

The cyclone is likely to move initially west-north-westwards during the next 24 hours and west-south-westwards. Thereafter, it will cross south Odisha and north Andhra Pradesh coasts between Vishakhapatnam and Gopalpur around Kalingapatnam.

“The Depression over northeast and adjoining east central Bay of Bengal moved westwards with a speed of 12 kmph in last 6 hours, intensified into a Deep Depression and lay centered at 0530 hrs IST of 25 th September 2021, over north and adjoining east central Bay of Bengal near Lat. 18.4°N and Long. 89.7°E, about 510 km east-southeast of Gopalpur (Odisha) & 590 km east-northeast of Kalingapatnam (Andhra Pradesh),” an IMD bulletin said.

“It is likely to intensify into a Cyclonic Storm during next 12 hours. It is likely to move nearly westwards and cross north Andhra Pradesh – south Odisha coasts between Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur around Kalingapatnam by evening of 26th September, 2021,” it added.
A red warning has been issued for seven districts in Odisha. The districts are Kandhamal, Ganjam, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur and Gajapati.

The Special Relief Commissioner urged the concerned district administrations to get prepared for possible heavy rainfall and consequential flooding, waterlogging, landslides and damages due to strong wind.