Zee Media Bureau
Hyderabad: State of Andhra Pradesh escaped devastation as the Cyclonic storm Lehar in the Bay of Bengal weakened before crossing its coast on Thursday.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclone weakened into deep depression as it crossed the coast near Machilipatnam in Krishna district. It is likely to weaken further.
The deep depression triggered rains in Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam, East Godavari and West Godavari districts. Winds with the speed 50-60 kmph would prevail along and off Andhra Pradesh during next 12 hours, said an IMD bulletin.
It also forecast rainfall at most places with isolated heavy falls over coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam district of Puducherry (geographically a part of Andhra) during next 24 hours. Rainfall at many places with isolated heavy falls would also occur over Telangana during next 36 hours.
Earlier, the IMD withdrew the cyclone warning, much to the relief of the people in five of the nine coastal districts which feared devastation.
The meteorologists had Wednesday said the cyclonic storm weakened due to low temperature of the water at the coast, wind shear at the coast and also the winds blowing from central India.
The IMD had earlier warned the state of very severe cyclonic storm with the wind speed gusting to 200 kmph.
The state government had sounded an alert as the intensity of the cyclone feared to be more than that of 1996 cyclone that killed hundreds of people and caused widespread destruction in Konaseema region of East Godavari district.
The authorities have evacuated more than 26,000 people from vulnerable areas in four districts, requisitioned four helicopters and six columns of the army for rescue and relief work.
With the IMD withdrawing the cyclone alert, the warning signals hoisted all ports in the state were also taken back.
Lehar was the third cyclone to threaten the Andhra coast in a month. Helen had crossed the coast at Machilipatnam last week, killing six people and damaging crops over four lakh hectares.
Phailin, which hit Odisha-Andhra coast last month, had caused some crop damage and claimed one life in Srikakulam district bordering Odisha. However, the subsequent heavy rains and floods claimed 58 lives and damaged crops over 13 lakh hectares.
According to initial estimates by department of disaster management, Helen caused damage of Rs.1,628 crore. The state government has sought an assistance of Rs.6,500 crore from the central government for relief and rehabilitation in Phailin-hit areas.
With IANS inputs
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.