Cyclone Jawad: Thousands evacuated in West Bengal, heavy rainfall expected for two days

Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at one or two places in Kolkata, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, North and South 24 Parganas, Jhargram, Hooghly and Howrah districts due to cyclone Jawad.

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New Delhi: Taking quick precautions as cyclonic storm Jawad hit west-central Bay of Bengal, the West Bengal government on Saturday (December 4) evacuated thousands in South 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur districts. 

Amid the cyclone warning, as many as 11,000 people have been evacuated from the coastal areas to safer locations in South 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur districts, while boats with fishermen have returned in Kakdwip, Digha, Shankarpur and other coastal belts, an official was cited by PTI. 

According to the weather department, several districts in Bengal including North and South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Howrah and Hooghly districts received light rainfall in the morning. 

Rescue teams also urged tourists and locals to vacate beaches in Digha, Shankarpur, Tajpur and Bakkhali. 

A total of 19 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in  Bengal in view of the cyclone.

Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at one or two places in Kolkata, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, North and South 24 Parganas, Jhargram, Hooghly and Howrah districts.

The  India Meteorological Department (IMD) has also predicted heavy rain on Monday in the districts of North and South 24 Parganas, Nadia and Murshidabad. 

The IMD in its bulletin said, “'Jawad' moved slightly northwards with a speed of 4 kmph during the past six hours and lay centered about 230 km south-southeast of Vishakhapatanam (Andhra Pradesh), 340 km south of Gopalpur (Odisha), 410 km south-southwest of Puri (Odisha) and 490 km south-southwest of Paradip (Odisha) at 5.30 am.”

Cyclonic storm Jawad is likely to weaken into a deep depression before making landfall near Puri in Odisha on Sunday, the MeT said earlier today. 

(With agency inputs)