Odisha unlikely to bear brunt of Cyclone Asani: IMD DG

Cyclonic storm Asani over west-central Bay of Bengal is likely to make landfall between Kakinada and Narsapur of Andhra Pradesh by today evening, predicted India Meteorological Department (IMD) DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra on Wednesday.  

“We are not expecting any structural damage in Odisha under the impact of the cyclonic storm. Because, the wind speed in the state will be 40 to 50 kmph in the State,” Mohapatra said while speaking to OTV.

“Squally wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph is likely to continue along and off Odisha coast on 11th to 12th May,” he said. 

Mohapatra said the storm moved north-northeastwards with a speed of 6 kmph during past six hours, and lay centered at 0830 hours IST of 11th May, over same region near latitude 15.9°N and longitude 81.4°E, about 40 km southeast of Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 140 km southwest of Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh), 280 km southwest of Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 520 km southwest of Gopalpur (Odisha) and 630 km southwest of Puri (Odisha).

The system is likely to weaken into deep depression tonight and further into depression by Thursday (May 12) morning.

Under the impact of the cyclonic storm, several parts of Odisha received light to moderate rainfall in the past 24 hours. 

Ghasipura of Keonjhar district recorded highest 72.2 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours followed by Khordha (71 mm), Anandapur (64.4 mm), Mahendragarh (54.2 mm), Digapahandi (48 mm) and Sankhemundi (41 mm).