Cyclone FANI: Red Warning issued for these Odisha dists over rainfall

Bhubaneswar: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued ‘Red Warning’ for several districts of Odisha over heavy rainfall ahead of the impending cyclonic storm FANI.

Heavy to very heavy rainfall very likely at a few places over Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Khordha, Koraput, Rayagada and Kandhamal districts with isolated extremely heavy rainfall over the districts of Gajapati and Ganjam today (intense heavy rainfall likely to commence from midnight), a bulletin of the IMD said.

Similarly, heavy to very heavy rainfall very likely at a few places over the districts of Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Khordha, Nayagarh, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Balasore, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, with isolated extremely heavy rainfall over districts of Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Balasore and Mayurbhanj on May 3, the bulletin said.

Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm FANI over Bay of Bengal is expected to hit Odisha coast between 10 am and 12 noon tomorrow, said SRC spokesperson Sangram Mohapatra quoting IMD reports today.

It is likely to cross Odisha coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali, around Puri with maximum sustained wind speed of 170-180 kmph gusting to 200 kmph.