Bhubaneswar: While the extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Fani remains over Westcentral Bay of Bengal, the Indian Meteorological Department has issued a ‘Red Message’ cyclone warning for Odisha Coast, in its latest bulletin published at 11:30 pm tonight.
Fani, pronounced as Foni moved northwards with a speed of about 13 kmph in last six hours and lay centred at 8:30 pm on Thursday over Westcentral and adjoining Northwest Bay of Bengal.
Fani is about 240 km south-southwest of Puri, 170 km east- southeast of Vishakhapatnam and 540 km south-southwest of Digha.
Thunderstorm with intense rainfall and squally wind speed reaching upto 50 to 60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph is likely to occur over the districts of Ganjam, Puri, Gajapati and Rayagada between 12 am and 3 am on Friday.
Thunderstorm, lightning with moderate rainfall and gusty windspeed reaching to 40 kmph – 50 kmph is likely to occur at few places over the districts of Malkangiri, Kandhamal, Cuttack (City), Khurda (inlcuding Bhubaneswar), Jagatsinghpur, Nayagarh, Kendarapada, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Angul and Bhadrak between 12 am and 3 am on Friday, the latest IMD bulletin stated.
It is very likely to move north-northeastwards and cross Odisha Coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali, south of Puri during tomorrow the 3rd May forenoon with maximum sustained wind speed of 170-180 kmph gusting to 200 kmph. Landfall process is very likely to continue till noon/afternoon of tomorrow the 3rd May.
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 90-100 Kmph gusting to 115 Kmph by early morning of 4th.
It is very likely to move further north-northeastwards and emerge into Bangladesh on 4th May evening as a Cyclonic Storm with wind speed 60-70 Kmph gusting to 80 Kmph.