At least 10 people were killed as Cyclone Bulbul smashed into the low-lying areas of Bangladesh on Sunday, bringing in its wake torrential rains coupled with howling gales and ravaging the coastlines of West Bengal.
The cyclone, which had developed over Bay of Bengal, has now intensified and is likely to cross the West Bengal coast by early Sunday morning. Heavy-to-extremely heavy rainfall, accompanied by winds reaching up to 110-120kmph and tidal waves up to 1.5 metres, are expected.
Authorities in Bangladesh on Friday ordered the evacuation of about 18 lakh people from the low-lying coastal villages and islands as the country braced for a "very severe" cyclonic storm that is set to hit the country this evening.
The Centre on Thursday asked states to take all possible steps to deal with the cyclonic storm 'Bulbul' and ensure there are minimum casualties and loss of property.
Severe cyclonic storm Maha is likely to make landfall along Gujarat coast between Dwarka and Diu on the night of November 6 and bring heavy to very heavy rains till the next day, the India Meteorological Department said on Sunday. It is likely to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm in the next six hours before making landfall, it added.
The effects of cyclone Kyarr passing along the coast of Karnataka were felt in Dakshina Kannada district with the entire region experiencing heavy rains throughout Thursday night and intermittent rains on Friday.
The cyclonic storm "Kyarr" is likely to bring very heavy to extremely heavy rains in coastal districts of Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg in Maharashtra in the next 12 hours and also cause strong winds, the Met Office said on Friday.
Cyclone Vayu is expected to make landfall in Gujarat on Thursday with the NDRF swinging into action to brace up for the impending cyclonic storm. Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday reviewed the preparations, and directed officials to ensure all possible steps for the safety of people.
It is not surprising if you are fascinated by the names of cyclones, and that definitely leaves you wondering about the process and concept behind naming them. Although however fascinating they may sound, you must remember they are lethal and bring with them violent winds, heavy rains and most of all, destruction. We'll explain the process of naming cyclones in 10 points. Here you go:
Cyclone Vayu: A deep depression over the Arabian Sea which brewed over the past two days has intensified into a cyclonic storm and is likely to hit the Gujarat coast on June 13 morning, the India Meteorological Department said. Cyclone 'Vayu' is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm in the next 24 hours.
Except for damaging a few huts, Cyclone Fani did not cause much havoc in West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said as the severe cyclonic storm weakened Saturday morning and headed towards neighbouring Bangladesh.
Lightning during a thunderstorm killed eight persons in two districts of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday. Four persons were killed in Chandauli, while one person died in Sonebhadra.
The extremely severe cyclonic storm made landfall at around 8 a.m. in Puri but thanks to enough advance warning, about 11 lakh people had already been evacuated from vulnerable and low-lying areas of at least 11 coastal districts by Thursday.
The ship sailed south of the cyclone to be able to start rescue operations even as other naval vessels remain on standby at Vishakhapattanam. Naval divers teams have also moved to Odisha from Vishakhapattanam.
The Cyclone Warning Division of the India Meteorological Department said the wind speed of the Extremely Severe Cyclone Fani could reach 200-230 kilometres when it makes the landfall.
The highest number of people -- 3 lakh -- was evacuated from Ganjam district while 1.3 lakh people have been evacuated from Puri district, said an official from the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) office.
At the meeting, he directed the senior officers of the central government to maintain close coordination with officers of the affected states, a PMO statement said.
The cyclone is being tracked by Doppler Weather Radars at Chennai, Vishakhapatnam and Machilipatnam.
Cyclone 'Fani' is very likely to intensify into a 'severe cyclonic storm' by Monday evening and could take shape of an 'extremely severe cyclone' by Thursday, prompting the government to put the NDRF and the Indian Coast Guard on high alert, officials said on Monday.
Andaman Sea by January 8 and rough over east-central and adjoining south-east Bay of Bengal by January 8.
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