Cyclonic Storm Phailin hit the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

The cyclonic storm Phailin in the second week of October 2013 hit the Andaman and Nicobar islands and moved northwestwards early this morning and presently lay centred about 800 km South East of Paradip in Odisha. It is expected to reach the coast of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh in the next 48 to 72 hours. The system will intensify into a severe cyclonic storm during the next 12 hours. Fishermen have been asked not to venture into sea and those gone deep inside the sea have been asked to return to the coast.

Meanwhile the Odisha government has issued a high alert and cancelled the Dusshera holidays of employees in 14 districts.  It has been decided to deploy Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force teams in the 14 districts. The State government has also asked all the cyclone-prone district authorities to stock up food and relief materials at cyclone shelters.