Cyclone Sidr to strike eastern Indian and Bangladesh coasts at midnight Thursday

Regional Meteorological officials have warned that the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts will be hit by a severe cyclone, named Sidr, at midnight on Thursday.

Kolkata/Bhubaneswar/Chennai, Nov.15 : Regional Meteorological officials have warned that the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts will be hit by a severe cyclone, named 'Sidr', at midnight on Thursday.

The cyclone is currently lying 500 kms off Kolkata and gathering momentum. Its speed is being estimated at 180-200 km per hour.

Regional Met office Director G C Debnath said that the the state administration has been alerted to the possibility of coastal areas being severely damaged.

Port authorities have been asked to hoist danger signal No: 10. The cyclone may affect the five coastal districts, including South and North 24 Parganas and East Midnapur, besides, Kolkata city.

Civic authorities have set up a crisis management group, West Bengal Chief Secretary P R Ray said, adding that an alert has already been issued.

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea for fishing and to stay alert.

The cyclonic storm is also expected to trigger extremely heavy rainfall coupled with high speed gale reaching 60 to 90 kmph over North Orissa, official sources said.

In Chennai, as many as 10 huts at Appar Nagar, a fishing hamlet at Tiruvottiyur, were washed away by surging waves, while sea water entered about 200 houses, forcing residents to flee for safety. Nearly 14 fishing villages in Ennore, Tiruvottiyur, Kasimedu and Ernavur areas had been affected by the tidal waves.

Weather Office sources said alerts had been received from floating stations of the National Institute of Ocean Technology about high tidal waves due to the cyclonic storm brewing over the Bay and heading towards the north.

Rain or thundershower is likely to occur at many places with heavy falls at isolated places over South Orissa during the same period, it said.

ANI