Relief Teams on Alert as Cyclone Jawad to Hit Indian State of Odisha on Sunday
08:59 GMT 05.12.2021 (Updated: 17:49 GMT 15.01.2023)
© AP Photo / Ashim Paul
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According to official records from the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA), the state has witnessed 10 cyclones, including the approaching Jawad, in a span of 22 years. Cyclone Jawad is considered the first winter cyclone in the state in about 100 years.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday said that Cyclone Jawad is going to weaken into a depression and will reach the Odisha coast near Puri in the afternoon.
The DD lay centered at 0530hrs IST of 05th Dec, over northwest & adjoining westcentral BoB near Lat18.2°N, Long85.4°E, about 130km SSE of Gopalpur. Likely to move north-northeast wards, weaken further into a Depression and reach Odisha coast near Puri around noon of today. pic.twitter.com/vEqvsiddnW
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) December 5, 2021
Via a tweet the department informed that the cyclonic storm was about 130 km south-southeast (SSE) of Gopalpur at 5:30 a.m. IST
DD remnant of CS ‘JAWAD’ over westcentral BoB, lay centered at 2330hrs IST of 4th Dec, near Lat17.5°N, Long85.0°E, about 200km south of Gopalpur. Likely to move NNEwards, weaken further into a Depression by morning of 5th Dec, reach Odisha coast near Puri around noon of same day. pic.twitter.com/QTCBrtw793
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) December 4, 2021
Cyclone Jawad, notably, was about 200 km south of Gopalpur at 11:30 p.m. IST on Saturday.
The Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar predicted moderate rain and thundershowers with one or two intense spells of rain over some parts of the districts of Ganjam, Puri, Khorda, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, and Cuttack.
The IMD also issued a "red warning" (heavy to very heavy rainfall) for one or two places in the districts of Puri and Jagatsinghpur, an orange warning (be prepared - heavy to very heavy rainfall) for several places in the state's Balasore, Bhadrak Kendrapada, Jajpur, Cuttack, Khordha, Ganjam, and Gajapati districts.
It additionally issued a yellow warning (remain updated - heavy rainfall) for Nayagarh, Keonjhar, and Mayurbhanj.
Meanwhile, special relief commissioner P.K. Jena has said that 1,500 people, including 300 pregnant women have been evacuated in view of the cyclone threat.
The met department also predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in the Kolkata, Purba and Paschim, Medinipur, North and South 24 Parganas, Jhargram, Hooghly, and Howrah districts of the Indian state of West Bengal.
Heavy rain is also likely to occur on Monday in the districts of North and South 24 Parganas, Nadia, and Murshidabad.
With a view to heavy rainfall, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has since deployed 18 teams in West Bengal at Digha has turned rough due to cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal.
NDRF Assistant Commandant SD Prasad told the media: "18 NDRF teams are deployed in West Bengal. We carried out awareness programmes and are ready for evacuations if needed. It is a matter of relief that 'Jawad' will weaken into a deep depression when it reaches Puri beach today".
The federal Home Ministry has prepared cyclone shelters and all actions have been taken to stock food grains, drinking water, and other essential supplies.
Teams for maintenance and restoration of power, roads, water supply, and other essential services have also been positioned. The harvesting of standing crops is also being done to minimise damages.
