Hudhud to intensify into a 'very severe' cyclonic storm

"The Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘HUDHUD’ over westcentral Bay of Bengal moved northwestwards and intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm. It lay centered at 1130 hrs IST of 10th October 2014 near latitude 14.8 ºN and longitude 87.0 ºE about 500 km east-southeast of Visakhapatnam and 550 km south-southeast of Gopalpur. The system would move west-northwestwards, intensify further into a very severe cyclonic storm during next 12 hours," read a government statement.

It said the storm would cross north Andhra Pradesh coast around Visakhapatnam by the forenoon of Oct 12.

Meanwhile, the Indian Armed Forces is fully geared up to face the likely effects of approaching cyclone ‘Hudhud’ slowly developing in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh coast.

The Army has kept headquarters Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Karnataka and Kerala area and sub-areas/air defence college in standby mode to undertake relief and rescue operations as and when required.

"Indian Navy has also positioned its assets and personnel in some of the important areas of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh including Chilka and Vishakhapatnam, for possible relief and rescue operation, which will be coordinated by Naval Officer-in-Charge, Odhisa and Naval Officer-in-Charge Andhra Pradesh, respectively. Following Naval assets have been kept at Vishakhapatnam as standby for undertaking rescue/relief operations. Indian Navy has kept 30 diving teams with Gemini Craft and associated equipment, 20 rescue teams, four ships with Disaster Bricks and medical stores, four helicopters and two fixed winged aircraft and a number of medical teams ready at Vishakhapatnam for undertaking rescue and relief operations," read a government statement.

"Indian Air Force is also gearing itself up to undertake relief, rescue and rehabilitation operations as and when it is required. To bolster to the transport efforts, IAF has kept one IL-76, one C-17 and two AN-32 aircraft ready at Chandigarh, Delhi and Jorhat, respectively. Keeping the rescue operations in mind it has kept in standby mode three Chetak at Hyderabad, two Medium Light Helicopter at Barrackpore and two Medium Light Helicopter at Nagpur and Ranchi," it said.

Indian Coast Guard has also deployed 17 ships, two Air Cushion Vessels (ACVs) and 09 aircraft in Eastern and North-Eastern regions to augment the rescue and relief operations, wherever required.

Out of 17 ships, six ships and five aircraft have been stationed at Chennai, six ships at Kakinada, three at Vishakhapatnam, four ships at Paradip and one ship, two ACVs and four aircraft at Haldia.

The movement of the cyclonic storm ‘Hudhud’ is continuously being monitored and the Armed Forces has been kept in the loop in this regard on regular basis. 

Image: IMD