Andhra Pradesh CM directs officials to be on high alert to face cyclonic storm

AMARAVATI: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday directed officials to be on high alert in view of the low pressure in the Bay of Bengal sea developing into a cyclonic storm named Michaung.

The CM instructed officials to be ready and shift the affected people from coastal areas to safer places and arrange relief camps, including maintaining sufficient stocks of milk, drinking water, and food.

"Cyclone-affected district collectors and the disaster management officials should be ready to take necessary relief and rescue measures to help people and restore power lines and transportation facilities in affected areas," Reddy said in an official release.

On the chief minister's instructions, the State government released Rs 2 crore to Tirupati district and Rs 1 crore each to Nellore, Prakasam, Bapatla, Krishna, West Godavari, Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema and Kakinada districts for relief measures.

Meanwhile, the Amaravati Meteorological Centre has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in parts of North Coastal Andhra Pradesh (NCAP) on December 6 as well, accompanied by strong winds reaching up to speeds of 65 km per hour.

It has already forecast similar weather in parts of the southern state till December 5 in the wake of the weather system in the Bay of Bengal.

According to the Meteorological Department, the deep depression over the Southwest Bay of Bengal moved west and northwestwards at a speed of 18 kmph and lay centred about 440 km east to southeast of Puducherry and 670 km south to southeast of Machilipatnam on Saturday morning.

It is likely to move west to northwestwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm over the Southwest Bay of Bengal during the next 24 hours. Thereafter, it would move northwestwards and reach the west-central Bay of Bengal off south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coasts by December 4 forenoon, said a Meteorological Department official in a press release.

Later, the weather system is expected to move northwards, almost parallel and close to the south Andhra Pradesh coast and cross it between Nellore and Machilipatnam during the forenoon of December 5 as a cyclonic storm with maximum wind speeds of up to 100 kmph.

In the wake of Michaung, a South Central Railway (SCR) Zone's Vijayawada Division official said 144 trains have been cancelled which originated or pass through the Division.

Similarly, East Coast Railway Zone's Waltair Division has also cancelled and diverted several trains.