Cyclone Michaung landfall process begins in Bapatla on Andhra Pradesh coast. 10 updates
Cyclone Michaung is expected to cross the coast of Andhra Pradesh, with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90 to 100 kmph, gusting to 110 kmph.
Cyclone Michaung latest updates: Cyclone Michaung landfall process began near Bapatla on the Andhra Pradesh coast on Tuesday, after causing rain mayhem in Tamil Nadu, with heavy rain and floods killing at least eight people and forcing some plants including a Hyundai Motor Co. factory to halt operations.
Cyclone Michaunga is expected to cross the coast of Andhra Pradesh near Bapatla, with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90 to 100 kilometres an hour, gusting to 110 kilometres, according to the India Meteorological Department.
Eight people have died in Chennai, according to a post from the Greater Chennai Police on social media site X, formerly known as Twitter.
Some areas of Tamil Nadu are expected to continue seeing very heavy rainfall for two days, while other places are likely to receive “exceptionally heavy” rain on Tuesday, the weather bureau said. Light to heavy precipitation is also forecast for Telangana and Odisha, it said.
Latest updates on Cyclone Michaung in Andhra Pradesh:
1. Severe cyclonic storm Michaung’s landfall is currently underway with the eye of the cyclone situated near Bapatla in south Andhra Pradesh coast.
2. The weather system over the west-central Bay of Bengal, running along and off the south Andhra Pradesh coast is moving nearly northwards, parallel and close to the south Andhra Pradesh coast and is expected to complete crossing in the next three hours, an Amaravati Meteorological Centre official said.
3. The Amaravati Meteorological Centre noted that the intensity of gales near the centre of the severe cyclonic storm is 90 - 100 km per hour and gusting up to 110 kmph.
4. Meanwhile, 9,454 people have been evacuated from the seven districts of Konaseema, Kakinada, Krishna, Bapatla and Prakasam to safety in 211 relief camps, according to a dataset shared by APSDMA with news agency PTI.
5. The state government evacuated 910 people from Konaseema district, Kakinada (523), Krishna (1,814), Bapatla (702), Prakasam (128), Nellore (1,991) and Tirupati (3,386). As part of relief efforts, 10,251 food packets were distributed and 18,068 water packets.
6. With the severe cyclonic storm Michaung anticipated to hit Bapatla during its passage, residents have been advised against going outdoors. Bapatla district superintendent of police Vakul Jindal told PTI that people living in thatched houses in the region have been evacuated.
7. On Monday, Bapatla district collector Ranjit Basha, Jindal and MLA K Raghupati visited Suryalanka coast and issued instructions to the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team and police officials.
8. Every police station in the district has been equipped with a JCB excavator, cutter machines, ropes and expert swimmers.
9. Police have evacuated people living in low lying areas. In the event of an emergency, Bapatla district police told people to reach out to helplines 100, 112 and police control room number 8333813228.
10. The Meteorological Department forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall, accompanied by gales in parts of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday and Wednesday. It also forecast extremely heavy rainfall in isolated places. On Tuesday, it forecast extremely heavy rainfall, greater than 204.4 mm, in isolated places of Konaseema, West Godavari, Eluru, Krishna, NTR, Palnadu, Bapatla and Prakasam districts, along with heavy to very heavy rainfall, 115.6 mm to 204.4 mm, in parts of these districts. Likewise, it forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in parts of Alluri Sitharamaraju, Kakinada, East Godavari, Kadapa and Nellore districts. Further, the Meteorological Department forecast heavy rainfall, 64.5 mm to 115.5 mm, in parts of Srikakulam, Parvathipuram Manyam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Nandyala, Annamayya and Tirupati districts.
(With inputs from Reuters, PTI)