Bhubaneswar, May 13: The severe cyclonic storm, which had formed over the south Bay of Bengal, changed its course following which an alert had been sounded in coastal Orissa. A bulletin issued by the Cyclone Warning Centre here said that the storm, centred at 550 km east-south-east of Chennai this morning, was likely to intensify further and move in a north-north westerly direction towards north Andhra Pradesh and south Orissa coast. It warned that adverse weather in the form of heavy to very heavy rainfall was likely in the coastal belt. The rains and gales (strong winds) were now likely to commence over north Andhra Pradesh-south Orissa coast within the next 48 hours. The Tamil Nadu coast had been de-alerted, it said adding the sea would be very rough to high along and off the Andhra-Orissa coast.

Fishermen had been advised not to venture into the sea.

Bureau Report