Cyclone Titli spares Odisha, causes little damages in Gajapati and Ganjam districts

Bhubaneswar: The Very Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘TITLI’ spared Odisha with little damages as it crossed south Odisha-north Andhra Pradesh coasts with landfall reported near Palasa in Srikakulam district between 4.30 AM and 5.30 AM today.

Special Relief Commissioner B P Sethy said no casualty was reported from the state in the cyclone Titli. The government, he said, had evacuated nearly three lakh people to safer places and kept them in the multi-purpose shelter centre as a precautionary measure.

He said the Gajapati and Ganjan district witnessed damages of thatched houses where trees were also uprooted disrupting road communication.

Gajapati district bordering Andhra Pradesh faced maximum damages where tele-communication was totally snapped and roads were damaged disrupting the communication at various places. The Ganjam district witnessed little damages.

Mr. Sethy said a detailed report about the damages in the south Odisha districts is being collected from the field officers.

The wind speed during the landfall of the very severe cyclonic storm at Gopalpur recorded 126 kmph while it touched 165 kms at Palasa where Titli crossed the land.

Met sources said the cyclone Titli is moving northwestwards towards Gangetic West Bengal and is gradually weakened to severe cyclonic storm around noon and then to a cyclonic storm by this evening and finally to a deep depression by tomorrow morning.

Rainfall is likely to occur in coastal Odisha till October 12. At some places in the coastal Odisha there will be heavy rainfall.

 According to report reaching the state capital the roads in Parlakhemundi, Kashinagar, Mohana and Goisani were damaged in the cyclone disrupting the communication at several places.

Trees and electric poles were also uprooted in Ganjam and Gajapati districts where the impact of cyclone Titli was felt with wind speed reaching over100 kmph.

The latest observations indicate that the Very Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘TITLI’ over west central Bay of Bengal moved northwestwards with a speed of about 17 kmph during past six hours.

The sea condition will be phenomenal over west-central & north Bay of Bengal and along and off south Odisha and adjoining north Andhra Pradesh coasts during next few hours.

It will become high along & off north Odisha coast on 11th during next 18 hours and become very rough for subsequent 12 hours. Sea conditions will be rough to very rough along & off West Bengal Coast on October 11& 12.

Strong surge of height of about 0.5 meter above astronomical tide is very likely to inundate low lying areas of Ganjam, Khurda & Puri districts of Odisha during the next few hours.

The fishermen are advised not to venture into west-central till October 11 and north Bay of Bengal on October 11 and 12 next. (UNI)