Cyclone Jawad updates: Storm to weaken into Depression by tomorrow, likely to reach Puri around noon

 The IMD in its latest bulletin said that the cyclonic storm 'Jawad', which initially moved over westcentral Bay of Bengal, changed its course and started rolling in northwestwards at a speed of 9 kmph during the past six hours. 

Cyclone Jawad is likely to weaken further into a Depression by tomorrow morning, likely to reach near Puri around tomorrow noon. Subsequently, likely to continue to move north-NE wards along Odisha coast towards WB coast & weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area during subsequent 24 hours, IMD said. 

Cyclonic Storm Jawad has weakened into a Deep Depression at 5:30 pm today. It's about 180 km east-southeast of Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 260 km south of Gopalpur (Odisha, 330 km south-southwest of Puri (Odisha) and 420 km south-southwest of Paradip (Odisha), IMD said.

Union minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday reviewed the arrangements and preparations made by state governments of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal to deal with cyclone Jawad.

Industry associations like CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM and PHD Chambers were also represented at the conference. 

The minister underscored the need for drawing of a comprehensive action plan towards managing this natural disaster in the most effective way by incorporating the inputs and suggestions of all stakeholders.

The Jawad cyclone is currently located around 210 km in the southeast of Vishakhapatnam and 390 km southwest of Puri. The cyclone is showing signs of weakening. The cyclone will move away from Odisha by tomorrow evening. All our response forces are deployed in the fields and some evacuation is also going on. People living in low lying houses are only being moved. As an impact of this cyclone, we expect large scale damage to paddy crops. Crop damage assessments are being done: Pradeep Kumar Jena, Relief Commissioner, Odisha. 

As predicted, Cyclone Jawad is moving north-northwest and is centred 230km east of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh and 400 km south of Puri, Odisha. Collected cloud mass over north Andhra Pradesh and coastal Odisha districts has led to rain since last evening. Rainfall activity will increase today in districts like Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and adjoining areas of Visakhapatnam. West Bengal might also experience rain today and tomorrow. Andhra Pradesh will be clear and north Odisha might witness rain on December 5. There will be a weakening north-northeastwards change in the movement of Cyclone Jawad after evening, along the Odisha coast; till December 5, it will reach Puri area to form a deep depression. Wind speed is expected to be 50-70kmph till December 5 afternoon: Mrutyunjay Mohapatra DG-IMD. 

Odisha: The evacuation of people from vulnerable areas is ongoing. Teams for restoration of services like power and drinking water supply post-cyclone are ready. Those in cyclone shelters are being provided with hot meals, says Samarth Verma, Puri District Magistrate.

People vacating Odisha's Puri beach area with their make-shift shops and belongings, while the deployed police expedite the process in the wake of Cyclone Jawad. The safety of the people is our topmost priority. Everyone present at the Puri beach has been asked to vacate the area. Shelter homes have been established in Puri; all are requested to follow government guidelines on Cyclone Jawad: Puri SP Kanwar Vishal Singh.

WATCH: Lifeguards from the Odisha Fire and Disaster department urge people to vacate Puri beach, in the wake of Cyclone Jawad. 

Andhra Pradesh: Continuous rains witnessed across the district, wind speeds of 50 kmph at few locations; 79 cyclone shelters operation since yesterday (December 3). NDRF, SDRF and fire teams on alert and deployed across the district: Shrikesh B Lathkar, Collector and DM, Srikakulam on cyclone Jawad.

Visakhapatnam: Waltair Division of East Coast Railway is prepared to face the challenges posed by cyclone Jawad. We are in touch with the state government, SDRF, NDRF and other agencies. Our personnel are on alert and in full preparedness, informs AK Satpathy, Divisional Railway Manager.

Andhra Pradesh: 11 NDRF, 5 SDRF, 6 Coast Guard, 10 Marine Police teams deployed in three districts of the state, in view of cyclone Jawad. 54,008 persons have been evacuated from low-lying areas of Vishakapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam.

Cyclonic storm Jawad lays centered over westcentral Bay of Bengal about 230 km southeast of Vishakhapatnam, 340 km south of Gopalpur, 410 km south-southwest of Puri and 490 km south-southwest of Paradip. It's likely to weaken gradually and move nearly northwards during next 12 hours and then north-northeastwards along Odisha coast reaching near Puri around December 5 noon as a Deep Depression.  It's likely to weaken further and move north-northeastwards  towards West Bengal coast: India Meteorological Department (IMD). 

In view of cyclonic storm 'JAWAD', the National Testing Agency has postponed the entrance exam for MBA (IB) 2022-24 of Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, scheduled for December 5 in states of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal. The exam has been postponed in the Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur, and Cuttack (Odisha) and Kolkata and Durgapur (West Bengal). The notification from the NTA read, "In view of the cyclone which is expected to hit the coastal areas of Odisha on December 4 and the consequent disruption of normal life in the coastal areas of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, it has been decided to postpone the exam scheduled to be held on December 5, 2021, at the exam centres in the following cities, to a later date." "The date of the exam for candidates who are admitted to exam centres in the above-mentioned cities will be announced later," NTA said.

Puri: Following Cyclone Jawad warning, fishermen do not venture into the sea. Under the influence of the cyclonic storm, Puri witnesses rainfall and high-speed winds.

As Cyclone Jawad is likely to hit south Odisha on Saturday, Bhadrak District Collector Trilochan Majhi said that the local administration is fully prepared and people from 41 coastal villages have evacuated to various shelter points where COVID-19 protocols are in place. Speaking to news agency ANI, Majhi said, "Two rounds of meeting have been concluded with various departments to handle the situation. One team of NDRF has been deployed at Dhamara and a team of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) has been deployed at Basudevepur. People from 41 coastal villages have evacuated to various shelter points where COVID-19 protocols are in place." The Cyclone Jawad is likely to reach north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha on Saturday morning and Puri is likely to witness heavy rains on Sunday, said India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Andhra Pradesh government has set up 197 relief camps in schools and community halls. Eleven teams of NDRF have deployed whereas 5 teams of SDRF and six teams of Coast Guard are in place. Village secretaries and District collectorates will function throughout the night. As many as two helicopters are on standby. Rs 1 crore has been released to tackle any unforeseen situation.

Naval aircraft are kept ready at Naval Air Stations, INS Dega at Visakhapatnam and INS Rajali near Chennai to undertake aerial surveys of the most affected areas, casualty evacuation, and airdrop of relief material as required.

As Cyclone Jawad is likely hit to north Andhra Pradesh today, the state government has evacuated over 54,008 people from three districts. The rescue team has evacuated 15,755 people from Srikakulam district, 1,700 from Vizianagaram and 36,553 from Visakhapatnam.

Indian Navy said that 13 flood relief teams (FRT) and four diving teams are kept on standby to be deployed for assisting in the rescue and relief operations. As many as three FRT and two diving teams have been dispatched to Odisha from Visakhapatnam to augment the existing resources.