The MeT department said that coastal Andhra Pradesh and north Tamil Nadu are likely to experience rainfall in the next two days.
Andhra Pradesh was on high alert as Cyclone Phethai accompanied by heavy downpour is likely to intensify as a 'severe cyclonic storm' and cross the coast between Ongole and Kakinada on Monday. The government has positioned NDRF and State Disaster Response Force in as many as five districts.
The MeT department said that coastal Andhra Pradesh and north Tamil Nadu are likely to experience rainfall in the next two days.
Meanwhile, NDRF and SDRF teams have been deployed in the coastal districts of Guntur, Krishna, West Godavari, East Godavari and Vishakhapatnam. SDRF Authority Director Prasanna Venkatesh said that two teams of SDRF (80 members) and two of NDRF (60 members) have been deployed in these districts with all necessary equipment for evacuation and rescue
Also Read | Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh on high alert as cyclonic storm 'Phethai' accompanied by heavy rains to intensify in next 36 hours
Sixteen teams of Andhra Pradesh Disaster response and Fire Services have been kept on reserve at Rajamahendravam, while nine (of five members each) have been positioned in West Godavari district for road clearance.
"Additionally, four teams of NDRF personnel have been sent to East Godavari and another kept on standby at the 10th Batallion headquarters for ready movement", Venkatesh added.
East Godavari district collector Karthikeya Misra declared a two-day holiday for all schools in eight coastal mandals in view of the cyclone threat. Misra added that 50 relief camps have been opened in eight coastal mandals and four IAS officers stationed at Amalapuram to monitor the situation and take appropriate action.
A MeT department bulletin said that squally winds, with a speed of 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph were likely off Andhra Pradesh, north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts from Saturday.
The deep depression over southeast Bay of Bengal moved further west-northwestwards and lay centred on Saturday morning over southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal.
MeT department said that extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places is likely to hit north coastal Andhra Pradesh on December 17.
The fishermen have been advised not to venture into the Bay of Bengal.
HEAVY RAINFALL TO STRIKE ODISHA OVER NEXT TWO DAYS
The deep depression moving towards coastal Andhra Pradesh is likely to trigger moderate to heavy rainfall in several parts of Odisha during the next two days. Districts like Gajapati, Ganjam, Rayagada and Kalahandi are expected to be lashed by heavy rain on Sunday under the impact of deep depression, the MeT department said in a bulletin.
Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is also likely to occur in malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nuapada, Bargarh, Balangir , Jharsuguda and Sambalpur on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Odisha government has asked the district collectors to take steps to protect paddy from the unreasonable rain. Farmers have been advised to reap the paddy in their field and bring it to a safe place. They have also been asked to collect the paddy stacks kept in the field for drying to safe place and cover the paddy stacks.
(With PTI inputs)
