Cyclone Fani, one of the biggest storms to come off the Indian Ocean in recent years, made landfall in eastern India on Friday, India’s Meteorological Department said.
ESCS FANI about 40 km south-southwest of Puri at 0730 IST. To cross Odisha coast between Gopalpur & Chandbali around Puri during forenoon of tomorrow, the 3rd May. PURI reported maximum sustained wind speed of 142 kmph gusting to 174 kmph 0730 IST. Landfall impact has started. pic.twitter.com/7MRfkOJPPj
— India Met. Dept. (@Indiametdept) May 3, 2019
“We recorded speeds up to 175-180 kilometres (110 miles) per hour around one and a half hours back,” H.R Biswas, IMD Director in Odisha state capital Bhubaneswar”
#CycloneFani makes landfall in #Odisha #India #supertyphoon. There is a weakening trend, millions of people concerned. pic.twitter.com/vKWZg0heIb
— My Beautiful Destination (@MyBeauDes) May 3, 2019
Forecasters have said that Fani would pack sustained wind speeds of 180-190 kph and gusts up to 200 kph, equivalent in strength to a Category 3 to 4 hurricane. In recent days authorities in Odisha have rushed to evacuate more than a million people to shelters ahead of the cyclone’s arrival.
RT NDRFHQ: Cyclone Fani Ground Reports : Rajnagar, Kendrapara, Odisha#TEAMNDRFINDIA #StaySafe #stayalert #stayprepared
satyaprad1
ndmaindia
PIBHomeAffairs pic.twitter.com/MrXp1EMgOv pic.twitter.com/Omv16LKsKd— Mantralaya Times (@mantralayatimes) May 3, 2019
Forecasters have also said a storm surge of about 1.5 metres (five feet) could hit, flooding low-lying areas such as Odisha where in 1999 10,000 people were killed by a cyclone. Hundreds of thousands more in West Bengal state have also been given evacuation orders. Special teams went through holiday villages urging tourists to move to safety.
India’s National Disaster Response Force shared images of several uprooted trees along the coast in Andhra Pradesh state to the south. The NDRF teams were trying to remove the fallen trees and branches to ensure they don’t become projectiles if the winds intensify.