Cyclone Phailin hits Odisha at 200 kmph, over 7 lakh evacuated

Phailin moving towards Gopalpur at 15 kmph, landfall will occur around 8.30 pm today evening, says IMD.

Zee Media Bureau/Ajith Vijay Kumar with Kamna Arora and Himanshu Kapoor For latest updates on Cyclone Phailin: CLICK HERE

11:33 pm: Government and Congress will do everything possible to stand up to emergent situation, says Sonia Gandhi. Sonia Gandhi in constant touch with Union Home Minister taking stock of the situation in cyclone-hit Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, PTI report. 10:59 pm: Met department says rainfall will get heavy and will subside in next 12 hours. 10:41 pm: Odisha State Emergency Operation Centre numbers are: 0674-2534177, Ganjam- 06811-263978, Puri- 06752-223237, Jagatsinghpur- 06724-220368, Kendrapada- 06727-232803, Bhadrak- 06784-251881, Balasore- 06782-262674, Mayurbhanj- 06792-252759, Jajpur- 06728-222648, Cuttack- 0671-2507842, Khordha- 06755-220002, Nayagarh- 06753-252978, Gajapati- 06815-222943, Dhenkanal- 06762-221376, Keonjhar- 06766-255437 10:20 pm: According to Special Relief Commissioner PK Mohapatra 7,24,000 people have been evacuated till now, ANI report. 9:55 pm: As many as 90,000 people were evacuated and sent to safer places in the Srikakulam district, which borders Odisha. 9:38 pm: Categorising the cyclone as very severe, the MeT department said that the intensity of rainfall will increase within few hours. 9:29 pm: Gale winds from Gopalpur to Paradip and down south to Kalingapatnam, says IMD. 9:27 pm: The Met Department says that the cyclone will remain `very severe` for at least six hours. 9:21 pm: Cyclone Phailin makes landfall, slams into Gopalpur in Odisha at over 200 kmph. Storm surge of 3 to 3.5 metres expected. 8:59 pm: 183 trains cancelled, 22 partially cancelled, 26 diverted due to cyclone. 8:42 pm: Cyclone Phailin has slowed but is expected to hit the east coast soon. 8:29 pm: 30 people stuck in Vonturu in Kaviti Mandal, Srikakulam. NDRF team of Rajapuram on standby, to rescue them after cyclone passes, ANI report. 8:13 pm: The MeT department will be briefing on cyclone situation shortly. 7:59 pm: Indian Air Force and Navy helicopters have been pressed into service to assist in rescue and relief operations. 7:49 pm: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has extended all possible assistance to states concerned in ensuring safety of people as Phailin nears east coast. 7:33 pm: Roads and electricity is likely to be affected mostly from the storm, Shinde said. 7:30 pm: Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said that the cyclone should make landfall within 30 minutes. Also Read: Cyclone Phailin: Train service crippled, Railways prepare to bounce back 7:19 pm: At least 5 people have been reported dead ahead of Phailin`s landfall. 7:04 pm: Severe cyclone nears the eastern coast, is expected to hit Odisha any time between 7 pm to 8 pm. 6:51 pm: Army, Navy, Defence, NDRF and revenue departments battle ready says Andhra CM Kiran Kumar Reddy. 6:39 pm: Cyclone Phailin may hit the east coast with the wind speed of 230-240 kmph. 6:23 pm: There is power outage in Gopalpur in Odisha and Srikakukam in Andhra Pradesh. 6:01 pm: Impending cyclone Phailin led to the cancellation of flights and trains from the Odisha state capital and traffic on the highways came to a halt. Also Read: Planes, trains cancelled, highway traffic stalled 5:45 pm: Heavy rains reported in the port city of Paradip in Odisha, wind speed touches 70 kmph. 5:31 pm: As the cyclone is just 80 kms off the Gopalpur coast in Odisha, the NDMA has released emergency numbers for Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. Odisha State Emergency Operation Centre numbers are: 0674-2534177, Ganjam- 06811-263978, Puri- 06752-223237, Jagatsinghpur- 06724-220368, Kendrapada- 06727-232803, Bhadrak- 06784-251881, Balasore- 06782-262674, Mayurbhanj- 06792-252759, Jajpur- 06728-222648, Cuttack- 0671-2507842, Khordha- 06755-220002, Nayagarh- 06753-252978, Gajapati- 06815-222943, Dhenkanal- 06762-221376, Keonjhar- 06766-255437 Andhra Pradesh emergency numbers are: Srikakulam – 0894-2240557/ 9652838191, Visakhapatnam- 1800425002, Vizianagaram- 1077/0892-2236947, East Godavari- 0884-2365506, West Godavari- 0881230617, Krishna- 086722525 Toll Free – 1077, Guntur- 08632345103/08632234990, Nellore- 08612331477 Also Read: Cyclone Phailin: Emergency numbers released for Odisha, Andhra 5:14 pm: The Centre said 5 lakh tonnes of foodgrains is kept ready for distribution to victims of high intensity cyclone Phailin, which is due to hit the east coast in the next few hours, PTI report. 4:41 pm: IMD in its latest report said that the cyclone is 90 kms off the Gopalpur coast in Odisha. 4:27 pm: Current observation of wind speed in Gopalpur is around 150 kmph, may hit the coasts at 200-220 kmph wind speed, says MeT department. 4:00 pm: About one lakh people were evacuated from north coastal Andhra as the cyclonic storm Phailin in the Bay of Bengal was set to hit the eastern coast by Saturday evening. Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy said one lakh people were moved to relief camps. He appealed to people in low-lying areas to follow the direction of officials and leave their houses. Also Read: Cyclone Phailin: One lakh people evacuated in coastal Andhra 3:55 pm: Rain stops briefly in Gopalpur. NDRF officials are patrolling to ensure all areas have been evacuated, says a report. 3:50 pm: Navy deploys additional divers, doctors, integral helicopters and relief materials. 3.45 pm: At least three persons died after uprooted trees fells on them in Odisha ahead of Cyclone Phailin`s landfall at Gopalpur. Also Read: Three killed in Odisha ahead of Cyclone Phailin 3:37 pm: With cyclone Phailin likely to hit Odisha by this evening, coastal areas of West Bengal like Digha in East Midnapore and Contai bordering Odisha are expected to have heavy rains, Meteorological office said. A high tide has already begun in Digha, they said. Fishermen have been alerted and asked not to venture into the sea. South Eastern Railway sources said, "In all likelihood, all south-bound trains beyond Kharagpur are likely to be cancelled." Kolkata, however, is expected to experience light to medium rainfall and an overcast sky, the MeT office said. There would be no direct impact of the cyclone in Kolkata, they said. 3:35 pm: According to Railway spokesperson Anil Kumar Saxena, 56 trains have been cancelled and 16 were diverted as a precautionary measure. 3.30 pm: Due to panic triggered by impending onslaught of Cyclone Phailin in coastal areas of Odisha, all vehicular movement has been crippled on National Highway 5, which connects the state capital to Gopalpur, the projected landfall site. Multi-wheel trucks and other four-wheel vehicles could be seen lined up along the highway as all movement towards the cyclone area has been restricted by the state administration. `Dhabas`, small hotels and other business spots along this vital road have been shut fearing nature`s fury. The NH-5 connects Chennai with Kolkata. 3:15 pm: NDMA says 2,000 NDRF personnel deployed in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal in view of the cyclone. Also Read: Cyclone Phailin: 2,000 NDRF personnel deployed in AP, Odisha, WB, says NDMA 3:05 pm: Despite the government`s orders, many locals in Gopalpur are idling around and not moving out, says a report. 2:59 pm: Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth chairs meeting of Crisis Management Group, reviews preparedness for the cyclone in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. Supply of food, fuel and medicines is being ensured through central government agencies in areas likely to be affected by the cyclone. Also Read: Cyclone Phailin: Cabinet Secy takes stock of situation 2:55 pm: IMD says Phailin is centred about 120 km southeast of Gopalpur. Danger signal 10 has been issued for Gopalpur and Puri ports. Danger signal nine has been issued for Paradip and Chandbali ports. 2:51 pm: According to reports, it is raining very heavily in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh. The evacuation process is still on. 2:40 pm: The Indian Navy says Eastern Naval Command is keeping a tab on the developments closely. Also, two Naval ships are on standby to proceed with dispatch to the most affected areas of Odisha. 2.30 pm: In Andhra Pradesh, winds are blowing with the speed of 120 to 130 km per hour in Srikakulam. There is no power from Ichchapuram to Palasa. Waters level in rivers Vamsadhara and Nagavalli are expected to rise above the danger level. 2.20 pm: With Cyclone Phailin moving towards Odisha and Andhra Pradesh coasts, the Railways have cancelled all trains between Howrah and Visakhapatnam as a precautionary measure. 2.15 pm: Those seeking removing broken trees, wires from roads, contact Bhubaneswar Municipal Corp - 0674-2431403. 2.10 pm: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy directs Chief Secretary to monitor the preparedness for Cyclone Phailin with District Collectors and officials of defence forces and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Reddy enquired about the cyclone situation this morning and directed the officials to be on high alert and ready to deal with any eventuality, official sources said. 2.05 pm: Jharkhand has geared up to face any eventuality as the MeT office has forecasted heavy rains accompanied by gales speeding up to 70 kmph across the state due to Cyclone Phailin which will make a landfall in neighbouring Odisha. On the direction of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Disaster Management Department`s Principal Secretary Arun Kumar Singh is taking stock of the situation in every district through video conferencing with all deputy commissioners, an official release said here. Quoting the MeT forecast that the cyclonic storm is expected to enter the state on Sunday morning, Singh issued an appeal to the people to stay indoors on October 13 and 14. 1.59 pm: C-17 Globemaster, the Indian Air Force`s biggest transport aircraft, reportedly reaches Bhubaneshwar for relief and rescue operation. 1.51 pm: President Pranab Mukherjee cuts short his West Bengal trip and will soon return to New Delhi due to cyclone alert. Also Read: Prez Pranab cuts short West Bengal visit in view of Phailin 1.50 pm: Nearly 4.4 lakh people have been rescued from danger zones so far in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. At a press conference, Reddy says that they have measures in place to deal with Cyclone Phailin. 1.48 pm: National Disaster Management Authority vice chairman Shashidhar Reddy says the cyclone is located 180 kms off Gopalpur. The track of the cyclone is more or less in and around Gopalpur. 1.46 pm: Reddy says the damage assessment done by the NDMA is the same as done by the Indian Meteorological Department. The teams have been deployed. 1.45 pm: Cyclone Phailin is 150 kms away from Gopalpur in Odisha, says IMD. 1.44 pm: Ganjam in Odisha is expected to be the most affected from the cyclone, we have deployed 40% of our resources there, says Reddy. 1.42 pm: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be returning home from his trip to Brunei and Indonesia today and we will brief him on all the updates - Reddy 1.40 pm: National Disaster Management Authority vice chairman Shashidhar Reddy says there were 23 teams of the NDMA present in Odisha and 11 NDRF teams in Andhra Pradesh. 1,200 NDRF personnel have been deployed in Odisha and 600 in Andhra Pradesh. The priority is to minimise casualties. “People should abide by evacuation orders, else local government’s should use force,” Reddy said. 1.39 pm: Highest evacuation was in 1990 in Andhra Pradesh where six lakh people were taken out - National Disaster Management Authority vice chairman Shashidhar Reddy 1.25 pm: Tropical Cyclone Phailin is producing maximum sustained winds reaching 314 km per hour, say US authorities. 1.21 pm: According to reports, 18 fishermen, who were stuck in trawlers, four kms from Paradip, have now been rescued by the coast guard. 1.15 pm: Reports say electricity restored in Bhubaneswar. 1.13 pm: The Indian Air Force has put 10 choppers on standby for relief and rescue operations. 1:11 pm: Talking to reporters, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik assures that steps are being taken to evacuate low-lying areas and provide relief material. 1.10 pm: All trains passing through Odisha on the Visakhapatnam-Howrah rail line cancelled, say reports. 1.07 pm: The Indian Air Force is ready with 528 tonnes of relief material to aid those affected by cyclone. 1.06 pm: On microblogging website Twitter, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi tweets: "Asked our state disaster management team to be ready to extend every possible help to authorities in the wake of cyclone on eastern coast."

Asked our state disaster management team to be ready to extend every possible help to authorities in the wake of cyclone on eastern coast.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 12, 2013

1.00 pm: 44,000 people have been evacuated in Puri, 24, 900 in Jagatsinghpur, 22,430 in Ganjam, 4,000 in Kendrapara. 12.50 pm: Trains to Bhubaneswar and other parts of the state cancelled. Flights have also been cancelled. 12.47 pm: Even though the Odisha government claims everything is in place, a report alleges food scarcity in Ganjam cyclone shelters. Notably, Ganjam is one of the most vulnerable Odisha districts to cyclone. 12.45 pm:18 fishermen stuck in trawlers, four kms from Paradip. The Odisha government says weather is too bad for any rescue operations. 12.30 pm: Gopalpur braces for Phailin as wind speed touches 160 kmph 12.28 pm: With just hours to go for landfall, Odisha government speeds up evacuation. Over 3,61,000 people moved to safer locations.

12.20 pm: Cabinet Secretary to chair NDMA meet in Delhi to take stock of the situation in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh 12.02 pm: Phailin`s impact will stay for 24 hours, says IMD 11.55 am: 2.5 lakh people evacuated in Odisha, administration on high alert as Cyclone Phailin comes closer to coast. 11.17 am: Cyclone Phailin won’t weaken before landfall, says IMD DG Rathore 11.15 am: Phailin moving towards Gopalpur at 15 kmph, landfall will occur around 8.30 pm today evening - Rathore 11.10 am: Phailin is now 200 km away from Gopalpur - Rathore 11.07 am: Director General of IMD, LK Rathore, says Phailin will remain as very svere cyclonic storm six hours after it crosses coast. Chhattisgarh, Ranchi would be also affected; rains will occur in gangetic West Bengal and Bihar. 11.05 am: Weather is getting worse, for passenger safety flights will be cancelled till weather improves, says Sharat Kumar, Director, Bhubaneswar Airport. 11 am: Eastern Command of Indian Navy on high alert; five columns of Army despatched from Ranchi for Bhubaneswar. 10.55 am: One person dies as tree falls in heavy rains in Odisha, claim reports. 10.25 am: Joint Typhoon Warning Centre of the US Navy predicts that Cyclone Phailin would be Category 5 at landfall - strongest in India`s history. 10.12 am: No electricity in most parts of Bhubaneswar for last 3 hours. 10.10 am: The wind speed could be 215-220 km/hr. Cyclone Phailin will reach Gopalpur coast by evening, says Shashidhar Reddy of NDMA. 10.06 pm: All flights to Bhubaneswar cancelled for today. 9.55 am: Strong winds hit normal life in coastal Odisha and north Andhra. Trees uprooted in Bhubaneswar, Paradip and other cities. 9.47 am: Andhra Pradesh Phailin control room number: 040-23456005/23451043. 9.40 am: Latest update from IMD: Cyclonic storm Phailin is now about 260 km southeast of Gopalpur, 270 km east-southeast of Kalingapatnam and 310 km south-southeast of Paradip. Pahailin would cross the coast as a very severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 210-220 kmph gusting to 240 kmph accompanied by storm surge with height of 3.0 to 3.5 metre. 9.30 am: Indian Railways cancels seven trains including Rajdhani Express. Other trains being diverted via Napgur. 9.25 am: 20 fisherman from Jagatsinghpur struck in high seas, rescue efforts on, claim reports. 9.05 am: Cyclone Phailin shows no sign of weakening, now centred around 250 km from Gopalpur. 8.35 am: Latest: Cyclone Phailin just 260 km away from Gopalpur. 8.33 am: East Coast Railway Helpline number: Vizag-0891-2505793,08935-249672, Vizianagaram-08922-225510, Srikakulam-08942- 287222 8.30 am Ganjam district braces for Cyclone Phailin. Rangeilunda, Chikiti Chatrapur, and Ganjam blocks of the district are on the path of the super storm. 8.15 am: Over 3 lakh people moved to safer locations in Odisha. Special medical teams deployed across coastal Odisha. 8.05 am: Warning Signal No 10 (great danger) raised at Gopalpur and Puri ports. Warning Signal No 9 at Paradeep & Chandabali. 7.47 am: Phailin approaching fast. Heavy rains and strong winds batter coastal Odisha and north Andhra Pradesh. Prequent power cuts add to people’s woes in Bhubaneswar and other cities. 7.35 am Phailin is holding strong as it heads to the Odisha-Andhra coast at over 200 kmph. Landfall will occur between 5.30-6.30 pm near to Gopalpur and Brahmapur in Ganjam district. Experts predict that it may turn out to be the strongest ever cyclone to hit the Indian coast, breaking the record held by the 1999 monster that has devastated Odisha. 7.20 am Helpline number: Odisha Central Control Room 0674-2534177 7 am: US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Centre and London-based Tropical Storm say that Cyclone Phailin will come with winds reaching 315 kmph on landfall, classifying Phailin as a Category 5 storm - the most powerful . As per the IMD, Phailin winds would reach only 220 kmph. 6.50 am: 1,600 National Disaster Response Force personnel have taken up positions in Ganjam, Brahmapur, Puri, Jagatsinghpur and Srikakulam to assist in rescue and relief operations. The Indian Army, Navy and Air Force are also on standby. 6.45 am: Scouting winds have picked up speed in Gopalpur, which is closest to the area where Cyclone Phailin will make landfall. Besides Gopalpur, the other towns which would face the brunt of the incoming super storm are Baruva, Ganjam, Satpada, Puri and Srikakulam. 6.35 am: Rains have begun in the danger zone areas and in state capital Bhubaneswar. Electricity supply was disrupted last night in some parts of the state, reports said. 6.30 am: Latest update from IMD - The very severe cyclonic storm Phailin over westcentral and adjoining eastcentral Bay of Bengal moved northwestwards during past six hours and lay centred at 02.30 am over westcentral and adjoining eastcentral Bay of Bengal at about 355 km south-southeast of Paradip, 320 km southeast of Gopalpur, and 315 km east-southeast of Kalingapatnam. As per the IMD, heavy to very heavy rain falls would occur over coastal Odisha during next 48 hours and over interior Odisha from Saturday afternoon for subsequent 48 hours. Rainfall at most places with isolated heavy to very heavy falls would also occur over north coastal Andhra Pradesh. Phailin will cause storm surge with height of 3.0 to 3.5 meteres at landfall. The super storm will lead to large scale disruption of power and communication lines and also disrupt rail and road traffic, the update said. 6. 25 am: Phailin to come ashore late afternoon or early evening. As per the IMD it will make landfall around 5.30-6 pm this evening. 6.15 am: US National Hurricane Center says Phailin’s strength is equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane and may cause extensive damage. 6.12 am: National Disaster Management Authority says 12 million people could be affected by Cyclone Phailin. Also Read: NDRF teams deputed in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh 6.10 am: Close to two lakh people have been evacuated in Odisha; in Andhra Pradesh over 60,000 have been moved to shelters so far. 5.45 am: Residents in the danger zone had a harrowing time on Friday as there has been a steep increase in vegetable prices and candles. 5.40 am: The IMD predicts a storm surge with height of 3.0 to 3.5 meters which will inundate low lying areas of Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts of Odisha and Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh during landfall. 5.30 am: Latest IMD update - Cyclone Phailin over westcentral and adjoining eastcentral Bay of Bengal has moved west-northwestwards during past 6 hours and lay centred at 11.30 pm (Friday) at about 375 km south-southeast of Paradip, 345 km southeast of Gopalpur, and 340 km east-southeast of Kalingapatnam. It would move northwestwards and cross north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts between Kalingapatnam and Paradip, close to Gopalpur by this evening. At landfall, Cyclone Phailin will have a maximum sustained wind speed of 210-220 kmph.