With a ferocious cyclonic storm Philian surging towards the coast of Odisha, neighbouring Andhra Pradesh has also started bracing itself for any eventuality. According to the latest weather bulletin, the system lay centered 870 kms south east of Visakhapatanam.
With the Indian Meteorological Department warning that powerful gale with a speed of 175 to 185 kms per hour hitting the coasts at the time of the landfall of the cyclone between Kalingapatanam and Paradip in Odisha, the Andhra Pradesh Government has put all the nine districts along 1,000 kms coastal line on a high alert.
Weather officials said that the region will start experiencing winds with a speed of 55 to 65 kms from Friday itself. Rains have started lashing the north coastal districts of Srikakulam, Vizinagaram and Visakhapatanam.
As the MeT office has also warned that the sea conditions will be very rough over the next 72 hours, the administration has asked the fishermen to stay off the sea. West Godavari district Collector Siddharth Jain said that efforts were being made to bring the fishermen, who had gone out for fishing, back safely. “We have also sought the help of the central paramilitary forces,” he added. Warning signal No. 2 was hoisted at the ports of Visakhapatanam, Kakinada, Machlipatanam, Gangavaram and Krishnapatanam.