Cyclonic storm Mahasen: Rain, thundershower likely in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Rain and thundershower are likely to lash many parts of coastal Odisha and some other areas under the impact of the cyclonic storm `Mahasen`, centred about 760 km south of Paradip today, Meteorological Centre here said.

The cyclonic storm over the south-east Bay of Bengal moved northwards and lay centred near latitude 13.50 N and longitude 85.50 E, about 760 km south of the port town of Paradip, the Centre said. The system would move northwards for some more time and thereafter recurve towards Bangladesh-Myanmar coast, it said. Under its impact, rain and thundershower would occur at many places in coastal Odisha and a few interior areas during the next 24 hours, it said. Distant Warning Signal Number-Two (DW-II) kept hoisted at Paradip and Gopalpur ports and fishermen were asked to be cautious while venturing into sea. Surface windspeed reaching 35-40 kmph gusting to 50 kmph from southeasterly direction would prevail along and off Odisha Coast. As a precaution, collectors of the coastal and nearby districts were asked to closely watch the situation and keep field functionaries on alert to meet any situation, official sources said. The coastal districts put on alert by the government are Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Balasore, Khordha, Cuttack, Jajpur and Mayurbhanj. PTI