Hyderabad/ Visakhapatnam: It looks like 2013 will go down in history as the year of cyclones for Andhra Pradesh. The very severe cyclonic storm Lehar, which will make a landfall on November 28, will be much worse than the previous Helen, said officials.
“Though not as intense as Phailin, but perhaps more severe than Helen, the Andhra Pradesh coast can expect wind speeds of about 180-200 kmph on the day of landfall,” informed Met department officials.
Also read - AP gears up for cyclone Lehar
Prof. S.V.S.S. Ramakrishna of Andhra University said on Tuesday evening that Lehar was gradually changing its course. The present movement of the system shows that it is likely to hit the Nellore coast, around 600 km east-southeast of Chennai. Clouds were concentrated on the south side of the eye of the cyclone and it was slowly shifting south.
Moderate rainfall at many places will start from November 27 in north Coastal AP. The intensity will gradually increase with rainfall at most places, with heavy to very heavy rains at a few places and isolated extremely heavy rains over north Coastal AP on November 28, said officials.
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Lehar is generating six-metre high seas and forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre anticipate that warm water temperatures and low wind shear will assist the system in intensifying.
Squally wind speeds reaching 45-55 kmph, gusting to 65 kmph, will commence along and off Andhra Pradesh with gale wind speeds reaching 170-180 kmph, gusting to 200 kmph, along and off coastal districts of Krishna, West and East Godavari and Visakhapatnam districts and 120-130 kmph, gusting to 140 kmph, over Vizianagaram, Srikakulam and Guntur districts of Coastal AP at the time of landfall.
Sea condition will be rough to very rough along and off north Coastal AP and adjoining south Coastal AP, stated the release.
Low-lying areas to face storm surges
Storm surges have also been predicted at low-lying areas owing to astronomical tides. Low-lying areas of West and East Godavari, Visakhapatnam and Krishna districts of Andhra Pradesh and Yanam district of Puducherry are likely to get storm surges at the time of landfall.
Some international weather sites predicted storm surges of 1 meter at Pedapatnam in Mamidikuduru mandal of East Godavari district.
Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy held a review meeting on the preparedness for Lehar with Chief Secretary P.K. Mohanty and CMO officials at his camp office. The chief secretary informed the CM that steps were being taken on a war footing to prevent loss of life and property due to the cyclone.
Special officers have been nominated for the nine coastal districts and round-the-clock control rooms at the Secretariat (040-23452144 and 23451043) were operating. The tentative requirement of NDRF te-ams has been finalised and communicated to the commandant, NDRF.
Thirty-three NDRF teams have been placed at Vizag (six teams), East Godavari (16 teams), West Godavari (five teams), Krishna (six teams), an official release by the revenue (disaster management) department infor-med. District collectors have been asked to evacuate families living in low-lying areas vulnerable to inundation.
