5:27 pm: Cyclone Hudhud loses speed; winds now blowing at 120-130 kmph: IMD
3:08 pm: Andhra Cricket Association secretary Gokaraju Gangaraju says the Indian and West Indies cricket team will reach Visakhapatnam on Monday if weather-conditions improves. (Read >full story )
3.00 pm The Odisha State government is gearing up to face possible flood situation which could be caused by heavy rain under influence of ‘Hudhud’ over next 36 hours. (Read > full story )
“The wind speed was expected between 90 kmph and 120 kmph in Malakanagiri, Gajapati, Korpaput, Ganjam and Rayagada districts. But the speed as being reported from all districts was varying between 50 and 60 kmph,” said P.R. Mohapatra, Deputy Special Relief Commissioner here on Sunday.
“The intensity of rainfall was also not in the range as was being apprehended. In Ganjam and Gajapati dustricts, during past 24 hours, average 30 mm rainfall had been recorded compared to 50 mm in north coastal districts. However, we are expecting heavy rain during next 36 hours,” Mr. Mohapatra said.
2.50 pm People of East Godavari district are in the grip of fear due to heavy rains along with strong winds from Sunday morning in coastal areas and in upland areas like Tuni and Tondangi mandals.
2.29 pm Gusty winds, uprooted trees, torn roofs of hutments and sheds and snapped electric cables bore testimony to the impact of severe cyclonic storm ‘Hudhud’ which hit Andhra Pradesh’s coastal districts.
2.28 pm Casualty in cyclone Hudhud rose to two in Odisha with a fresh death reported from Puri on Sunday.
2.06 pm Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu and enquired about the situation in the State after the cyclone Hudhud crossed the coast near Visakhapatnam.
2.05 pm Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured the Chief Ministers of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh of full assistance from the central government to face any situation arising from cyclonic storm ‘Hudhud’
2.05 pm Cyclone Hudhud, which hit Andhra Pradesh coast, has also disrupted the functioning of the Visakhapatnam Cyclone Warning Centre. The centre lost contact with the radar, which was tracking the cyclone for the last two days.
1.55 pm As Cyclone ‘Hudhud’ made its landfall in Vishakhapatnam, the NDRF doubled the strength of its teams stationed in the port city to 13 in order to undertake swift relief and rescue operations.
1:39 pm Customers in Odisha can call 1948 and those in Andhra Pradesh can call 1949.
1:38 pm Telecom major Airtel > has set up a helpline number to help people know last location of their friends and relatives in case they are affected by cyclone Hudhud approaching coastal area of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
1:24 pm Operations at Visakhapatnam and Gangavaram ports are paralysed.
1:21 pm On the communication front, except for mobile network with frequent call drops, the region is left with no other source. Similar is the scenario in the neighbouring Vijayanagaram and Srikakulam districts.
1:17 pm In view of cancellation and diversion of trains due to cyclone, East Coast Railway made special arrangement for opening of Passenger Reservation System (PRS) Counters till 2200 hrs instead of 1400 hrs today at important stations in order to help the passengers in getting refund.
1:15 pm Outer edge of Hudhud makes landfall at Kailasagiri in Vizag
12:35 pm PMO monitoring situation arising out of the cyclone on an hourly basis: IMD Chief
12:28 pm Video: After crossing coast Cyclone Hudhud will maintain intensity: IMD
12:26 pm Northern coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh will see heavy rain and high speed winds, says L.S. Rathore, DG, IMD.
12:25 pm Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh will also see rainfall.
12:24 pm Cycone Hudhud is just crossing Vizag at speed of 170-180kmph gusting up to 190kmph. Wind speed will come down by 50 per cent in 6 hours.
11:56 am The authorities have evacuated 90,013 people across the four districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhaptnam and East Godavari.
11:54 am Helpline number Cyclone Hudhud: Andhra Pradesh - 9849904019, 0853 - 2234870,2234301; Sambalpur - 0663-2533037, 8455886999; Visakhapatnam - 0891-2842415
11:51 am >Two killed in rain-related incidents in coastal Andhra Pradesh
11:36 am The Indian Air Force has tasked Headquarters Training Command, Bangalore to be the nodal agency for all relief operations in connection with severe cyclone Hudhud.
11:35 am Army columns are positioned at Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam with power boats and other equipment for rescue and relief. Six helicopters have been positioned in the Naval base at Visakhapatnam.
11:34 am As many as 19 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams (each consisting of 45—50 members) were deployed in the four districts.
11:33 am Andhra Pradesh government has identified 356 villages in 59 mandals of the four districts as cyclone—prone. More than 300 relief camps have been opened.
11:13 am Did you know, of the 35 deadliest storms in recorded history, 27 have come through the Bay of Bengal and have landed in either India or Bangladesh?
11:11 am Navy has dispatched five diving teams to Srikakulam for rescue and relief operations.
11:10 am Two killed in rain-related incidents in Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam districts under influence of severe cyclonic storm Hudhud.
11:08 am Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth to chair meeting of National Crisis Management Committee at 11:30 am
11:03 am Hudhud cyclone touches Visakapatnam coast at Kailashgiri.
Hudhud cyclone touches Visakapatnam coast: Rainfall on Oct 12 - Srikakulam 68.2 mm, ichapuram :139 m.m10:55am - 12 Oct 14
— Vijayawada Connect (@VjaConnect) >October 12, 2014
10:59 am Coastal weather bulletin for northern Andhra Pradesh: Wind: mainly north-easterly fifteen to twenty knots in thundershowers thirty knots; Weather : Scattered rain or thundershowers; Visibility: Moderate becoming poor in rain very poor in thundershowers; State of Sea slight to moderate; Port Signals Distant warning signal number two kept hoisted at Gangavaram and Kakinada ports Distant warning signal number two kept hoisted at Visakhapatnam port
10:52 am Except East Godavari, power entirely failed in the three districts of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam (which are expected to bear the brunt). There were gale winds. The situation is very severe.
10:51 am Strong winds and heavy rains led to large-scale disruption of power lines in three coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh as the state braced for Hudhud, a very severe cyclonic storm that is expected to hit the coast around noon.
Difficult to withstand terrifying wind speed as our team braves the steadily deteriorating weather to cover the >#CycloneHudhud . >@the_hindu
— Nivedita Ganguly (@nivi15) >October 12, 2014
>#Hudhud : Authorities fear heavy rain, devastation In Malkangiri, Odisha after >#Hudhud landfall. 25 cm rain predicted >@the_hindu
— Mahim Pratap Singh (@mayhempsingh) >October 12, 2014
10:32 am The IMD bulletin at 9:30 HRS: The Very Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘HUDHUD’ over westcentral Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards with a speed of about 15 kmph during the last 06 hours and lay centered at 0830 hours IST of 12th October 2014 near latitude 17.4ºN and longitude 83.8ºE, about 60 km east-southeast of Visakhapatnam. The system would move west-northwestwards and cross north Andhra Pradesh coast close to Visakhapatnam around noon of today, the 12th October 2014.
10:27 am According to Odisha Special Relief Commissioner 27,286 persons were shifted to 457 shelters in five districts. In Malkanagiri, 1,700 people belonging to primitive ‘Bonda’ Tribe were claimed to have been evacuated from Bonda hills.
10:25 am Strong wind close to about 50 kmph and heavy rain started in southern Odisha districts with very severe cyclonic storm Hudhud nearing the coast from Sunday morning. > Full story
10:17 am Authorities in north coastal Andhra Pradesh comprising Srikakulam, Vijayanagaram and Visakhapatnam districts and adjoining coastal districts of east and west Godavari are on high alert as the cyclone is likely to cause massive destruction. Nearly 400,000 people have been evacuated to relief camps in five districts.
10:09 am “The storm over west central Bay of Bengal moved northwestwards with a speed of about 8 kmph during the last nine hours and lay centered 240 km south-southwest of Gopalpur. Under its influence, southern districts Ganjam, Gajapati, Malkanagiri, Koraput and Rayagada have already started to receive heavy rain,” informed Sarat Sahu, Director of Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre.
10:06 am Fisherwomen pray for the relief from cyclonic storm Hudhud in Srikakulam on Saturday.
09:58 am Indian Navy prepares for Cyclone Hudhud
09:54 am At 0830 HRS IST of today, very sevrere cyclonic storm Hudhud is located 60 km east-southeast of Visakhapatnam and is likely to cross North Andhra Pradesh close to Visakhapatnam around noon with a wind speed of 170-180 KMPH gusting to 195 KMPH.
09:52 am The IMD has predicted that the sea condition would be phenomenal along & off north Andhra Pradesh coast and high along & off south Odisha and south Andhra Pradesh coast during next 24 hours.
09:47 am The MET department warned that storm surge of about 1-2 metres above astronomical tide would inundate low lying areas of Visakhapatnam, Vijayanagaram and Srikakulam districts of north coastal Andhra Pradesh at the time of landfall.
09:41 am In the past, out of 10 recorded cases of very heavy loss of life (ranging from about 40,000 to well over 2,00,000) in the world due to tropical cyclones, 9 cases were in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea (5 in Bangladesh and 3 in India and 1 in Myanmar). Source: IMD
09:40 am The northern part of the Bay of Bengal is known for its potential to generate dangerous high storm tides, a major killer when associated with cyclonic storms.
09:34 am >Heavy rains disrupt normal life in Srikakulam
09:30 am The wind speed would gradually increase to 170—180 kmph gusting to 195 kmph around the time of landfall along and off north Andhra Pradesh (East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts) and 80—90 kmph along and off adjoining districts of Andhra Pradesh (West Godavari & Krishna districts) and south Odisha (Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput and Malkangiri districts).
09:29 am Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has held a review meeting in the wake of the 'Cyclone Hudhud' alert issued for the state.
09:21 am According to the Met department the very severe cyclone Hudhud is over 60 km away from Visakhapatnam.
09:14 am
High tidal waves lashing the coast. People throng the beach to see the huge waves. >@VizagConnect>@the_hindu>#cyclone>pic.twitter.com/r44rXtbxEt
— Nivedita Ganguly (@nivi15) >October 11, 2014
09:10 am Several areas in Visakhapatnam plunge into darkness. Extremely strong winds and rain lash city, says Nivedita Ganguly.
At least 15 trees have fallen along the All India Radio station road blocking complete access to the Beach Road in >#Vizag . >#CycloneHudhud
— Nivedita Ganguly (@nivi15) >October 12, 2014
09:08 am Heavy gales and rain under the influence of very severe cyclonic storm Hudhud forces million plus residents in Visakhapatnam stay indoors, says Visakhapatnam correspondent Santosh Kumar Patnaik.
08:40 am Except East Godavari, power entirely failed in the three districts of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam (which are expected to bear the brunt).
08:34 am List of trains cancelled, diverted The trains cancelled are:
No.12805 Visakhapatnam – Secunderabad Janmabhoomi Express scheduled to leave Visakhapatnam on Sunday between Visakhapatnam and Tenali and the pairing train No.12806 Secunderabad – Visakhapatnam Janmabhoomi Express arriving at Visakhapatnam on Sunday between Tenali and Visakhapatnam;
No.17240 Visakhapatnam – Narasapur/Guntur Simhadri Express; 22203 Visakhkapatnam – Secunderabad ‘Duranto’Express;
No.12739 Visakhapatnam – Secunderabad Garibrath Express; No.18519 Visakhapatnam – Mumbai-LTT (via Bhimavaram) (all on Sunday);
No. 08508 Renigunta – Visakhapatnam Jansadharan Express leaving Renigunta on Monday; No.00852 Bangalore Cantonment - Bhubaneswar Premium Special leaving Bangalore on Sunday;
No.18517 Korba – Visakhapatnam Express arriving Visakhapatnam on Sunday;
No.17487 Tirupati – Visakhapatnam Tirumala Express arriving at Visakhapatnam on Sunday;
No. 22872 Tirupati – Bhubaneswar Weekly Superfast Express leaving Tirupati on Monday;
No.18006 Jagdalpur – Howrah Samaleswar Express leaving Jagdalpur on Sunday between Jagdalpur and Titlagarh;
No.18108 Koraput – Rourkela Express leaving Koraput Sunday between Koraput and Rayagada;
No.12728 Hyderabad – Visakhapatnam Godavari Express arriving at Visakhapatnam on Sunday;
No.18402 Okha – Puri Weekly Express leaving Okha on Tuesday, passing through Visakhapatnam and arriving at Puri on Friday.
Diverted trains
No.22612 New Jalpaiguri – Chennai Central passing through Visakhapatnam on Sunday will run via Khurda Road, Barang, Titlagarh, Nagpur and Balharshah;
No.22614 Haldia – Chennai Central Weekly express passing Visakhapatnam on Sunday will run via Khurda Road, Barang, Titlagarh, Nagpur, Balharshah;
No.13352 Alleppy – Tatanagar/Dhanbad Express arriving Visakhapatnam on Sunday will run via Vijayawada, Balharshah, Nagpur and Jharsuguda
No.02853 Santragachhi – Ernakulam Premium Special train leaving Santragachhi passing Visakhapatnam on Sunday will run via Kharagpur, Jharsuguda, Nagpur, and Balharshah.
08:32 am Helpline numbers for Andhra Pradesh Helpline numbers: Collectorate: 08672-252572, Bandar RDO office: 08672-252572, Bandar Tahisildar Office: 08672-222251, Avanigadda: 08671-272237, Koduru: 08671-276265, Krithivennu: 08672-237231, Mopidevi: 08671-257265 and Nagayalanka: 08671-274242. Toll free number – 1077.
08:30 am With West Bengal set to receive heavy rainfall in districts bordering Odisha owing to the looming cyclone, the Bengal government is taking precautionary measures. People living in these districts and in coastal districts have been alerted via text messages on their mobile phones about the cyclone, State Minister for Disaster Management Javed Khan added.
08:28 am The Visakhapatnam port has evacuated a dozen of merchant vessels from the outer harbour to the deep sea and the Gangavaram port has suspended the cargo operations.
08: 26 am The Andhra Pradesh government has blocked the National Highway-5 between Rajahmundry and Vishakapatnam from 5 p.m. of Saturday until the Hudhud cyclone crosses the North Andhra Pradesh coast.
08:22 am Odisha government on Friday asked administrative officers of southern districts to evacuate people from thatched huts to safe buildings. > Full story
08:18 am As North coastal Andhra and Odisha prepare for another cyclonic storm this year — named 'Hudhud' (named after the Arabic word for the hoopoe bird) — here are some scenes of unease and calm before the proverbial storm. > Slideshow: Before the storm
Heavy rains, gales disrupt normal life in Srikakulam. Photo: K. Srinivasa Rao
08:15 am This satellite image provided by IMD shows the postion of Cyclone Hudhud at 7:00 IST.
08:09 am Trains diverted/cancelled Indian Railway is >planning to cancel or divert 75 trains, including 70 express and five passenger services, to avoid inconvenience to the passengers. Railways will open help desks in Vijayawada, Rajahmundry, Anakapalli, Tuni, Kakinada, Kakinada Town, Samalkot, Tadepalligudem and Eluru from Saturday.
08:07 am Photos and videos of cyclone damages can be uploaded on nrse.gov.in and apsdps.gov.in. The government also created a toll free number -- 1100.
08:06 am Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday said real time inputs from people through their mobile phones and other devices would be taken to link to satellite imagery and take immediate action in the areas likely to be hit by Hudhud cyclone.
08:05 am >Centre reviews preparedness with AP, Odisha
08:03 am More than 1.5 lakh people have been evacuated to 370 relief camps and shelters from four frontline districts of Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and East Godavari of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday. >Full story
08:02 am >Odisha, Andhra Pradesh frame joint strategy to face Hudhud
08:01 am Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reviewed the preparedness for the cyclone Hudhud at an emergency meeting and asked officials to ensure that rescue and relief operations proceed smoothly and people were informed about the storm on a real-time basis. >Full story
07:59 am The Very Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘HUDHUD’ over westcentral Bay of Bengal moved northwestwards with a speed of about 15 kmph during the last 06 hours and lay centered at 0530 hours IST of 12 latitude 17.2oN and longitude 84.2oE, about 100 km southeast of Visakhapatnam and 240 km south-southwest of Gopalpur. The system would move northwestwards and cross north Andhra Pradesh coast close to Visakhapatnam around noon of today, the October 12, 2014.
