Weather alert: Three states to witness `very heavy rainfall` today, predicts IMD amid Cyclone Jawad warning

Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal are likely to witness heavy rains on Saturday and Sunday, while isolated places over Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura are likely to witness showers on Monday, according to IMD.

New Delhi: Under the influence of Cyclone Jawad, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal are likely to witness heavy rains. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclonic storm is likely to hit north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha on Saturday (December 4, 2021) morning. 

As per the latest tweet by IMD on Cyclone Jawad, the cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal lay centered on Friday night, over the west-central Bay of Bengal about 250 km southeast of Vishakhapatnam, 430 km south-southwest of Puri and 510 km south-southwest of Paradip. 

"It is likely to move north-northwestwards, intensify further and reach the west-central Bay of Bengal off north Andhra Pradesh - south Odisha coasts by tomorrow, December 4 morning," said the IMD.

"Thereafter it is likely to recurve north-northeastwards and move along the Odisha coast reaching near Puri around December 5 noon. Subsequently, it is likely to continue to move north-northeastwards along coastal Odisha towards the West Bengal coast," the weather department added. 

Meanwhile, IMD has also predicted heavy rainfall at isolated places over Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura on Sunday and Monday. 

Earlier this week, IMD had issued a Red alert for 4 Odisha districts, Orange alert for 7 and Yellow alert for 4 districts predicting ‘heavy’ to ‘very heavy’ rainfall.

Andhra Pradesh government has evacuated over 54,008 people from three districts. The rescue team has evacuated 15,755 people from Srikakulam district, 1,700 from Vizianagaram and 36,553 from Visakhapatnam.

The Andhra government has set up 197 relief camps in schools and community halls. Eleven teams of NDRF have deployed whereas 5 teams of SDRF and six teams of Coast Guard are in place. Village secretaries and District collectorates will function throughout the night.

On the other hand, the Odisha government has ordered to keep the schools closed in 19 districts of the state. As per the order from the School and Mass Education Department, all government, aided, and private schools affiliated with the department in 19 districts of Odisha will be closed for December 4 in view of cyclone `Jawad`. The 19 districts wherein the schools would be closed are Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Nayagarh, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Koraput, Rayagada, Cuttack, Khordha, Kandhamal, Keonjhar, Angul, Dhenkanal, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Malkangiri, and Mayurbhanj.

People from 41 coastal villages of Bhadrak districts have been shifted to various shelter. COVID-19 protocols are in place.

The weather department also said that heavy to very rainfall is expected in parts of West Bengal in coming days. According to IMD, on Saturday, heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at one or two places over Purba and Paschim Medinipur districts and heavy rain in North and South 24 Parganas, Jhargram, Hooghly and Howrah.

While, on Sunday, heavy to very heavy rain is likely at one or two places in Kolkata, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, North and South 24 Parganas, Jhargram, Hooghly and Howrah districts, the weatherman said. Heavy rain is also likely to occur on Monday in the districts of North and South 24 Parganas, Nadia and Murshidabad districts.

(With agency inputs)