Cyclone Lehar Thursday November 28,2013

The "very severe" cyclonic storm was now centered about 650 km east-southeast of Machillipatnam and 600 km east-southeast of Kakinada in the state, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said

Cyclonic storm 'Lehar' will cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machillipatnam and Kalingapatnam near Kakinada on Thursday November 28,2013 the Indian Meterological Department(IMD) said.


The weather department has also warned that winds with speed reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph would commence along and off Andhra Pradesh

Krishna, East Godavari, West Godavari, and Guntur are expected to be severely affected. Visakhapatnam, Prakasam, Nellore, Vizainagaram, Srikakulam are also likely to be affected.

30 teams of National Disaster Response Force have been deployed in East Godavari, West Godavari, Guntur, Krishna and Visakhapatnam. A newly formed State Disaster Response Force consisting of 700 men drawn from Police, Fire services etc., have also been deployed for rescue operations.


Storm surge of about 2.0-3.0 metres above astronomical tide is likely inundate low lying areas of west and east Godavari, Guntur and Krishna districts of Andhra Pradesh and Yanam district of Puducherry at the time of the landfall.

All educational institutions in the east Godavari district have been ordered to remain closed on Wednesday and Thursday

Under its influence, rain or thundershowers would occur at many places over Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and coastal and south interior Karnataka, IMD said in its weather outlook for four days from November 27 to December 1,2013

Lehar crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast as a depression at 2 pm on Thursday November 28,2013 with wind speed of around 40 kmph, the weather department said.Experts say the reason the intensity has come down is because of cold temperature, wind shear and also cold wind from central India. The storm has lost much of its energy.

 It is expected to further weaken into a low pressure area in the next 12 hours

Note

Lehar is the third storm to threaten the Andhra coast in a month.

Cyclone Helen had crossed the coast at Machilipatnam in Krishna District on Friday Nov 22,2013 killing six people and damaging crops over four lakh hectares and rapidly deteriorated into a deep depression

Cyclone Helen brought extensive damage to Machilipatnam with uprooted trees and electric lines. The districts of Krishna,East Godavari and Srikakulam,Visakhapatnam and Guntur  suffered heavy rainfall. Heavy damage to harvest crops was also reported, with the West Godavari District being worst affected.Paddy,Coconut and Banana Crops have suffered damage



Cyclone Phailin made landfall on Saturday Oct 12,2013 near Gopalpur in Odisha coast at around 2130 IST (1600 UTC). It subsequently weakened over land as a result of frictional forces, before it was last noted on October 14, as it degenerated into a well marked area of low pressure

 

Cyclone Phailin which hit Odisha-Andhra coast on Oct 12,2013 had caused some crop damage and claimed one life in Srikakulam district bordering Odisha. However, the subsequent heavy rains and floods claimed 58 lives and damaged crops over 13 lakh hectares.