Cyclone Fani May 4: As it happened

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik carried our aerial survey of cyclone-affected areas earlier today.

Cyclone Fani is now wreaking havoc in West Bengal and inching towards Bangladesh and Northeastern part of the country. It made a landfall in Odisha on Friday. Even at a time when the cyclone has moved away from Odisha, trails of destruction are evident.

Indian Coast Guard's disaster relief teams are working tirelessly to provide relief material to cyclone-hit citizens in Odisha.

India Meteorological Department has said that northeastern parts of the country will see 'widespread rainfall activity' on May 4

Airport Authority of India (AAI) announced the cancellation of 81 flights in the northeast.

Eastern coast of India has often been battered by cyclones. They have been categorized as severe, extremely severe and even as a super cyclonic storm.

Super cyclone in 1999 can be termed as the most dangerous, most devastating cyclone our country has seen.

In 1999, Orissa was hit by a super cyclone. Orissa's government machinery with respect to rescue and relief was absolutely abysmal as compared to today. As the super cyclone made a landfall on October 29, 1999, at Paradip in Orissa, all hell broke loose. Rescue efforts were not enough by any measure and the state saw 10,000 casualties. It was one of the worst natural disasters in India.

Indian armed forces are actively engaged in relief and rescue operation as Cyclone Fani wreaks havoc on the eastern coast of India. Navy vessels are stationed in Bay of Bengal. Indian Air Force has geared up as well.

The India Coast Guard carried out an aerial survey of Puri in Odisha where Cyclone Fani made landfall on Friday.

Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) said Saturday said it has stationed a dedicated emergency road service team to support the Fani cyclone affected customers or vehicles in the states of Odisha and West Bengal.

The 'Hyundai Relief task Force' would enhance services for vehicle-owners affected by Cyclone Fani.

"Hyundai has stationed a dedicated emergency road service team to support the Fani Cyclone affected customers/ vehicles along with 26 flatbed trucks and 21 Towing Trucks to assist the customers," HMIL said in a statement.

Cyclone 'Fani', which ravaged most parts of Odisha and left 12 people dead, poses no threat to West Bengal anymore, as it weakens further before entering neighbouring Bangladesh, a senior official said on Saturday.

As per forecast, there will be moderate to light rainfall, particularly in the districts adjacent to Bangladesh, but the weather condition in and around the city
will normalise through the course of the day, Deputy Director General of the Regional Meteorological Centre here, Sanjib Bandyopadhyay said. 

A record of 1.2 million people were evacuated in 24 hours, 3.2 lakh from Ganjam, 1.3 lakh from Puri and almost 7000 kitchens catering to 9000 shelters were made functional overnight. This mammoth exercise involved more than 45,000 volunteers: Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik on Cyclone Fani.

A day after cyclonic storm 'Fani' ravaged parts of Odisha, killing at least 12 people, a massive restoration and relief work was launched on war-footing Saturday across 10,000 villages and urban areas, officials said.

The extremely severe cyclonic storm, which made landfall at Puri on Friday, unleashed copious rain and windstorm that gusted up to 200 kmph, blowing away thatched roofs of houses, swamped towns and villages, before weakening and entering West Bengal, they said.

The death toll due to the calamity, which stood at eight on Friday, mounted to 12 with four fresh casualties reported from Mayurbhanj district, the officials said, adding, detailed information from many areas was still awaited.

All the four people were killed after uprooted trees fell on them at different places in Baripada, the emergency officer of Mayurbhanj district, S K Pati, said.

The UN agency for disaster reduction has commended the Indian Meteorological Department's "almost pinpoint accuracy" of early warnings that helped authorities conduct a well-targeted evacuation plan and minimise the loss of life as extremely severe cyclonic storm Fani made landfall near the coastal city of Puri.

The powerful cyclone, strongest to hit India in 20 years, made landfall at around 8 AM in India's eastern state of Odisha, killing at least eight people.

Large areas in the seaside pilgrim town of Puri and other places were submerged as heavy rains battered the entire coastal belt of the state affecting about 11 lakh people.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has classified Fani as an "extremely severe cyclonic storm".

Air India announces additional flight today (Delhi-Bhubaneswar at 1500 hrs and Bhubaneswar-Delhi at 1745 hrs) for passengers stranded due to cyclonic storm 

Most parts of Assam witnessed incessant rains on Saturday due to the impact of cyclone Fani, one of the strongest storms to batter the Indian subcontinent in decades.

Following the rains, the state government has issued an alert to suspend ferry services between Jorhat and Majuli, Guwahati and North Guwahati, Dhubri and other places from Saturday to Sunday.

While flight services from Guwahati has been suspended till Saturday evening, the Northeast Frontier Railway has also cancelled several trains to Kolkata and Odisha. Similarly, trains from Kolkata and Odisha to Assam were also cancelled.

Weather experts at the Regional Meteorological Centre at Borjhar had warned of heavy rains accompanied by strong winds to lash the northeastern states on Saturday and Sunday.

Assam government had earlier warned the district administrations to remain alert ahead of Fani and deployed 40 companies of National Disaster Rescue Force at some vulnerable locations across the state.

People of West Bengal heaved a sigh of relief as severe cyclonic storm Fani weakened on Saturday morning and was moving towards neighbouring Bangladesh, a senior official of the regional meteorological centre said.

The city witnessed wind speeds of 30-40 kmph with moderate to heavy rainfall overnight, he said.

There was no report of any casualty or major damage in the districts through which the cyclone passed, officials said.

"Fani is likely to continue to move north-northeastwards and weaken further over the next six hours.

"It is very likely to move further north-northeastwards and enter Bangladesh around noon as a deep depression with wind speeds of 50-60 kmph, gusting to 70 kmph," Deputy Director General of the Regional Meteorological Centre here Sanjib Bandyopadhyay said. 

After hours of closure due to severe cyclonic storm Fani, operations at Kolkata airport resumed on Saturday morning, an official said.

"Air India AI 743 to Agartala is the first departure from Kolkata at 0957 hours while GoAir's G8 101 DEL CCU is the first flight to land into Kolkata at around 1010 hours," Kolkata Airport spokesperson said.

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the closure timings for the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport was 3.00 p.m. from Friday till 8.00 a.m. on Saturday.

Fani entered Bengal post-midnight hours after making landfall and causing havoc in Odisha on Friday.

The cyclone is likely to enter Bangladesh around Saturday noon.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to visit cyclone hit-Odisha on May 6, to take stock of the damage in the state. 

Announcing his schedule on Twitter, the prime minister said, "Day after tomorrow, on 6th morning, I will be going to Odisha to take stock of the situation arising in the wake of Cyclone Fani. 

Odisha: Visuals from Balarampur village, Jagatsinghpur. Cyclone Fani hit the region, yesterday.

National carrier Air India steps forward to help the residents of Odisha affected by Cyclone Fani. 

If any (NGO/ Civil society/ SHG etc) wants to send relief materials to the cyclone-affected area of Odisha, Air India would ship it free of cost.

Air India to re-commence operations at Kolkata airport at 09.45 am

Severe Cyclone Fani weakens into a cyclonic storm, lay centered at 60 km northwest of Kolkata at 0530 IST today, says IMD. 

Fani will further weaken into deep depression and will move into Bangladesh by noon.

NDRF teams carry out road clearance work, assist civil admin restoration works in Odisha.

Pic Credit - Prashant Jha, India TV 

Road clearance work in Odisha

As West Bengal braces for Cyclone Fani's landfall, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the governor of the state, Keshari Nath Tripathi, on Saturday about the ground situation.

During his conversation with Tripathi, the prime minister reiterated the Centre's readiness to provide all help needed to cope with the extremely severe cyclonic storm.

"Also conveyed my solidarity with the people of Bengal in the wake of Cyclone Fani," Modi said in a tweet.

West Bengal: Clearing of uprooted trees from the road underway in Digha, weather clear.

Equipment at Bhubaneswar airport have been significantly damaged but flight operations are expected to resume by 1 pm today. 

Rain lashes Kolkata as Cyclone Fani hits West Bengal by crossing Kharagpur. 

Digha: Cyclone Fani hits West Bengal by crossing Kharagpur