IMD warns of heavy rainfall as Odisha braces up for cyclone 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday issued heavy rainfall warning for four districts of Odisha on May 10 during the approach of the possible cyclonic system from the Bay of Bengal towards the north Andhra and Odisha coasts.

Light to moderate rainfall is very likely at many places over the districts of coastal Odisha while heavy rainfall is likely to occur at one or two places over the districts of Ganjam, Khordha, Puri and Jagatsinghpur on May 10.

Live Updates: Cyclone over Bay of Bengal on May 8, landfall likely on May 10

The system, which is presently over South Andaman Sea and adjoining Southeast Bay of Bengal, very likely to move northwestwards, intensify into a Depression by the evening of May 7 and further deepen into a cyclonic storm by May 8th evening, the IMD said in a bulletin. 

Once developed into a cyclone, the system is very likely to continue to move northwestwards and reach westcentral Bay of Bengal off north Andhra­-Odisha coasts by 10th May.

The national weather agency has however not clarified the track, intensity and place of landfall of the system so far. 

In his media interaction with OTV, IMD DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the most accurate predictions about the possible cyclone can only be ascertained once it develops into a depression.

Meanwhile, former chief scientist and director of the Regional Meteorological Centre of IMD in Bhubaneswar, Sarat Sahu on Friday made a big reassuring statement that the cyclonic system will have lost most of its steam by the time it makes landfall on the Odisha-Andhra coast- its most predictable path of movement.

The cyclonic system presently brewing over the Bay as a low pressure is most likely to recurve once it hits the coast and consequently lose its momentum due to the friction, said Sahu.

However, the cyclone may affect Cuttack and Bhubaneswar around the afternoon of May 10 while most parts of coastal Odisha are likely to experience rainfall till May 11, he added. Another hand, the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), Pradeep Jena has said that the State government is ready to face any eventuality with 17 NDRF teams, 20 ODRAF teams and 175 fire fighting teams who are on standby.