After cyclone Hudhud made its landfall in Visakhapatnam on Sunday with winds speed of 170-180 kms per hour (kmph), the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of “heavy” to “very heavy” rainfall along the coast.
The cyclone has hit Jharkhand too but with comparatively low intensity. The initial gale wind speed of 180-195 kmph has decreased gradually to 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph during the next three hours and to 80-90 kmph during the subsequent six hours. However, this has triggered heavy rainfall which will continue in many coastal districts till October 15, 2014. According to IMD, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, MP and Jharkhand will also witness rainfall in the process. This very severe cyclonic storm would weaken into a cyclonic storm after 12 hours before dissipating, said the weather scientists.
Five districts in Andhra Pradesh — East Godavari, West Godavari, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam - and four in Odisha — Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput and Malkangiri are particularly bearing the brunt of the storm.
These areas are expected to witness heavy to very heavy rainfall in the coming 24 to 48 hours. The possibility of heavy rains has raised the spectre of floods in all rivers in south Odisha, besides the crucial Mahanadi system. According to the predictions of the IMD, sea condition would be very high off north Andhra Pradesh coast and very rough along and off south Odisha and south Andhra Pradesh coast during next 12 hours.
It will gradually improve to rough only by the morning of Monday along these coasts. Storm surge of about 0.5 to 1 meter above astronomical tide would inundate low lying areas of Visakhapatnam, Vijayanagaram and Srikakulam districts of north coastal Andhra Pradesh during next three hours. The Ministry of Earth Sciences has however said that Hudhud cannot be termed as a super cyclone and that chief secretaries of the affected areas were in touch with the PMO regarding the situation.