New Delhi/Visakhapatnam: Cyclone Hudhud is now 530 kilometres from Visakhapatnam, on course to make landfall on Oct 12.


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The Indian Meteorological Department's latesst bulletin said, “Cyclone HudHud over westcentral and adjoining eastcentral Bay of Bengal lay centred at 8:30 am IST about 590 kilometres southeast of Visakhapatnam.”


“It would move west-northwestward and intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during the next 12 hours,” the MeT said.


East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Vijayanagaram and Srikakulam districts of north coastal Andhra Pradesh will experience heavy rainfall from tomorrow evening.


The rains would be accompanied by squally wind speed reaching 50-60 kmph. The wind speed would increase to 130-140 kmph gusting to 155 kmph from Sunday morning along and off north Andhra coast and 80-90 kmph along and off south Odisha coast.


The US military’s Joint Typhoon Warning Centre believes that its strength could become equivalent of a Category-2 hurricane.


Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has reviewed preparedness of the state in disaster management and directed officials to make all necessary arrangements to ensure that there is no loss of life and minimal damage to infrastructure.


The Odisha government has deployed rescue teams at vulnerable places and asked district collectors to begin evacuation of people, particularly in tribal dominated Malkangiri district.


"At least 25 teams, 15 of NDRF and 10 ODRF, have been deployed at vulnerable areas keeping an eye on the cyclone and heavy rainfall," Special Relief Commissioner P K Mohapatra told reporters.Malkangiri was this time in focus, Mohapatra said, adding the severe cyclonic storm was likely to pass over the district.



This would create a lot of rain in undivided Koraput district comprising Koraput, Malkangiri and Rayagada.
Other districts which would be hit by the cyclone were identified as Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Nayagarh, Gajapti and Ganjam.


Mohapatra said all the districts have been provided with satellite phones for emergency and constant vigil was being maintained on the rivers like Bansadhara, Rusikulya and Nagabali as heavy rain is expected in southern districts.


Home Minister Rajnath Singh Friday said that the government is constantly monitoring the progress of a cyclonic storm that is likely to hit Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.


"Spoke to the chief ministers of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana regarding their preparedness to face the fast approaching cyclone `Hudhud`," the home minister said in a tweet.


"Assured the CMs all help from the centre. The centre is monitoring the progression of `Hudhud` expected to hit the coast in the next 24 hrs," he added.


Yesterday, Union Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth, who heads the National Crisis Management Committee, had held a high-level meeting in Delhi to review the situation. The Centre has asked representatives of all central ministries, departments and Chief Secretaries of the state governments concerned to take necessary steps for preparedness to meet any eventuality from the cyclone