Cyclone Phethai brews off AP coast, alert issued

VISAKHAPATNAM: With Cyclone Phethai bearing down on the south Indian coast on Thursday, parts of south-coastal Andhra Pradesh have been placed on alert, according to state officials on Thursday.


Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed district collectors in south-coastal Andhra Pradesh to be on the alert. He told officials to be prepared to evacuate people from vulnerable coastal communities in case Cyclone Phethai makes landfall, according to sources in Vijayawada.

The depression over the Bay of Bengal, which formed on Thursday, is expected to turn into a cyclone, named Phethai, by Friday, officials from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Under the influence of the cyclone, parts of south coastal districts like Nellore, Prakasam and Krishna, besides Rayalaseema districts like Chittoor, are expected to receive heavy to very heavy rains from December 15, said K Naga Ratna, director, IMD, Hyderabad Centre. Winds at the speed of 60-80 kmph will also prevail along and off the coast, she added.The cyclone is likely to further intensify into a severe cyclone.

It is the third cyclone in the northeast monsoon season this year after Cyclone Titli, which made landfall in Srikakulam district in October, and Cyclone Gaja, which made landfall in Tamil Nadu in November.

While indications are that Cyclone Phethai will make landfall elsewhere in the south, IMD official said that chances of the cyclone making landfall in the south coastal Andhra Pradesh remain high. The system was located over the sea, 1,300 kms away from Machilipatnam coast in Krishna district on Thursday.

“It is too early to predict the path and landfall point of the cyclone, but chances are high for it to make landfall in south coastal Andhra Pradesh,” Naga Ratna told TOI.

Fishermen have been advised to not venture into the sea.

Cyclone Titli ravaged large swathes of Srikakulam district when it made landfall on October 11. Naidu had then accused the central government of not offering any financial assistance to the people affected by Cyclone Titli in Andhra Pradesh. The state government had estimated the Titli damage to be nearly ?3,500 crore, and Naidu had sought immediate financial assistance or ?1,200 crore from the Centre for cyclone relief work.