THE DEVIL IS AT THE DOOR

A Cyclone literally dies on entering the land. I don't know why the dying winds need the company of the  humans and animals too on her last journey.

Bhubaneswar:  Cyclonic storm Phailin, the strongest to hit India in more than a decade and classified as "very severe" so far, is about 20 kilometres away from Gopalpur in Odisha. It is expected to hit parts of the state and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh before 8 this evening, prompting the country's biggest evacuation in 23 years.

Here are the latest developments:

1. A massive relief operation has been mounted by multiple state and central agencies. The immediate focus is to ensure there is no loss of life. Phailin is expected to affect around 1.2 crore people in India. (Full coverage)
2. The storm is moving at a speed of 20 km per hour and is likely to hit Odisha first, making landfall between Gopalpur in the state and Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and causing very heavy rain. (Track updates)
3. The Met department said wind speeds could touch between 210 to 220 kilometres per hour. Tidal waves could rise up to 3.5 metres and sea water could enter 300 to 600 meters inland. The cyclone will remain "very severe" for up to six hours after hitting the coast.
4. If wind speeds go above 220 km per hour at landfall, Phailin could be classified as a super cyclone, Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) chief LS Rathore said. The super-cyclone of 1999 had hit Odisha with wind speeds of 260 km per hour and waves as high as six metres high. (A look at devastating cyclones from Bay of Bengal)
5. It is raining already in coastal areas of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh and power supply has been cut from Ichchapuram to Palasa in Andhra Prdaesh and in seven coastal districts in Odisha. Power supply has been hit in capital Bhubaneswar too. There are reports of strong winds uprooting trees and electricity poles in Santhabomalli in Srikakulam district. (Read: Rain and wind batter east coast as cyclone Phailin barrels down)
6. All 56 trains on the Howrah-Visakhapatnam route have been cancelled and about 16 trains have been diverted. These trains are likely to be cancelled tomorrow as well. Road traffic is also likely to be hit by the heavy rain.(Read)
7. Odisha's airport in capital Bhubaneswar is now closed and is expected to remain so till tomorrow evening. An aircraft with more than 500 tonnes of relief material landed at the airport this morning. (Helpline numbers)
8. Odisha and Andhra Pradesh have been warned about extensive damage to homes, communication and power systems and crops in the storm. Odisha's Disaster Management Minister Surya Narayan Patra told NDTV, "We are fighting against nature. We are better prepared this time, we learnt a lot from 1999." Nearly 15,000 people died in the 1999 super-cyclone.(Read: Red alert issued as Cyclone Phailin closes in)
9. 1000 Army jawans have been deployed for relief operations as have been Central Reserve Police Force or CRPF jawans. The Air Force is on standby with 40 planes and choppers in Nashik, Ranchi, Bangalore, Nagpur and Barrackpore and 30 teams of Indian Navy divers are on alert; Navy ships will be deployed after the cyclone makes landfall. Five Army columns have been sent to Bhubaneswar from Ranchi.
10. The Met department has also predicted rains in parts of West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Courtesy: NDTV