Visakhapatnam: Based on the latest data, Cyclone Fani is expected to hit the Odisha coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali to the south of Puri around Friday afternoon packing 175-185 kmph winds with gusts reaching 205 kmph.
At 2.30 pm on Tuesday, Fani, categorised as a very severe cyclonic storm lay 760 km south-southwest of Puri and 560 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam.
Light to moderate rainfall may occur at many places across north coastal Andhra Pradesh and heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places likely in the districts of Srikakulam and Vizianagaram on Thursday and Friday.
Odisha was warned of extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places over coastal Odisha and adjoining districts of interior Odisha on Friday and over north Odisha on Saturday.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department, wind speed may reach 175-185 km per hour gusting 205 km per hour over the Odisha coast and 90-100 kilometres per hour gusting to 115 km per hour over districts of north Andhra Pradesh from Friday evening.
The sea is very likely to be very rough along and off the north Andhra Pradesh coasts from Wednesday to Friday.
Andhra Pradesh will get Rs 200.25 crore financial assistance to undertake preventive and relief measures in response to Cyclone Fani. Based on the decision of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), the ministry of home affairs has ordered the advance release of financial assistance of Rs 1,086 crore to four states — Rs 200.25 crore for Andhra Pradesh, Rs 340.875 crore for Odisha, Rs 309.375 crore for Tamil Nadu and Rs 235.50 crore for West Bengal. These funds are given to their State Disaster Response Fund to assist them in undertaking preventive and relief measures in response to cyclonic storm ‘Fani’.
