Cyclone Roanu Just 100km Off Odisha Coast; Gusting Likely 110 kmph

BHUBANESWAR: The cyclonic storm Roanu formed over the Bay of Bengal moved northeastwards at a speed of 30 kmph during past six hours and lay centred at about 100 km south of Gopalpur in Odisha.

“The cyclonic storm ‘ROANU’ over west central & adjoining Northwest Bay of Bengal moved Northeastwards at a speed of 30 kmph during past six hours and lay centred at 1130 hrs IST of 20th May 2016 over the same area near latitude 18.4º N and longitude 84.6ºE, about 100 km South of Gopalpur,” said Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

It said that the system is likely to move Northeastwards along & off north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coast and intensify into a severe cyclonic storm during next 24 hours.

“After that, the system is likely to move east-northeastwards and cross south Bangladesh coast between Khepupara and Cox’s Bazar, close to Chittagong on the night of 21st May, as a cyclonic storm,” a bulletin of IMD said.

Gusty surface wind speed from Southwesterly direction was reaching 90 to 100 kmph with gusting to 110 kmph in South Odisha Coast and from Northeasterly direction reaching 60 to 70 KMPH gusting to 80 KMPH in North Odisha, the IMD said.

It said that sea condition is very likely to be high to very high along and off Odisha coast.