Cyclone Ockhi: Distant warning hoisted at Odisha ports

Bhubaneswar: As depression over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclone, Regional Meteorological Department today hoisted Distant Warning signal at two ports in the wake of cyclonic storm Ockhi.

Cyclonic Storm Ockhi over Comorin area moved west-Northwestwards and latest observations, radar and satellite imageries indicate that the cyclonic storm moved further west-northwestwards with a speed of 20 kmph during past 06 hours and lay centred at 1730 hrs IST of today over southeast Arabian Sea near Latitude 8.2º N and Longitude 75.8º E, about 1560 km South-West of Gopalpur and 290 km east- southeast of Minicoy. The system is very likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during next 24 hours. It is very likely to move west-northwestwards across Lakshadweep Islands during next 36 hours and then move northwestwards during the subsequent 24 hours, the MeT office said here in a night bulletin today.

Distant Warning signal number two (DW-II) kept hoisted at Paradip and Gopalpur Ports in Odisha in the wake of cyclonic storm Ockhi adding that weather will very likely be dry over Odisha during next 24 hours, it said.