Andhra Pradesh, which battered by two cyclones during last one-and-a-half month, heaved a sigh of relief as the latest threat from the sea subsided because the severe cyclonic storm leher over west central Bay of Bengal weakened into deep depression on Thursday, hours before it was scheduled to hit the coast near Machlipatnam.
Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the system was likely to weaken further in to depression after it crosses the coast.
But it was still causing heavy rains in Krishna and other adjoining coastal districts dislocating normal life. IMD said that the system lay centered 60 kms southeast of Machlipatnam and was likely to cross the coast later on Thursday evening.
It was moving west-northwestwards at a speed of 10 kms per hour, IMD bulletin said. High tidal waves were lashing the coast and gale winds were sweeping across the region.
IMD warned that under the influence of the deep depression, isolated rains at some places and heavy to very heavy rains at many places will lash coastal Andhra and parts of Telangana regions over the next 24 to 36 hours. Gale winds with a speed of 50 to 70 kms per hour off the coast will continue for the next 12 hours.
Danger signal number three continued at most of the ports on Andhra coast and fishermen were warned against venturing in to the sea till further notice in view of the rough sea conditions.
However, the grim warning of devastation by the severe cyclonic storm was withdrawn. Earlier IMD had warned that the gale winds of 170 to 200 kms per hour will uproot trees and electricity poles and disrupt the life severely in Krishna and four other coastal districts, specially the East Godavari. The State Government has sought additional help from the Central Government in form of 15 more teams of National Disaster Relief Force, four helicopters apart from requesting the Army and the Navy to be on the standby.
In view of the warnings, thousands of people were evacuated to safer places in Guntur, Krishna, East and West Godavari districts. However, they were facing serious difficulties. Heavy rains lashed Bapatla division in Guntur district and tidal waves had forced the fishermen community to move to the relief camps.
According to the experts, leher weakened due to various factors including low temperature of the water at the coast, wind shear at the coast and also the winds blowing from central India.
Andhra Pradesh was hit by cyclone Phailin in early October and then by cyclone Helen earlier this month causing extensive damage to the property and the standing crops over an area of four lakh hectares.
Department of disaster management estimated cyclone Helen caused damage of `1,628 crore. The State Government has sought an assistance of `6,500 crore from the Central Government for relief and rehabilitation in Phailin-hit areas.