Bhubaneswar, April 16 (Inditop) The Orissa government Thursday alerted collectors of all coastal districts to remain alert as a severe storm formed in the Bay of Bengal may intensify and hit the state, officials said.
“We have alerted the collectors of all coastal districts,” Additional Special Relief Commissioner B. Baral told IANS.
According to the meteorological office here the cyclonic storm ‘Bijli’ formed over the central and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal has now moved in the north-westerly direction.
It is now lying centred over west-central Bay of Bengal at about 330 km south-south-east of Gopalpur.
The system is likely to intensify further and move in a north-north-westerly direction further for some more time.
As a result of which gale force winds speed reaching 60-70 kmph gusting to 80 kmph are likely to prevail along and off Orissa coast during the next 48 hours, the met office said.
Baral said, local cautionary signal number three have been kept hoisted in four ports at Gopalpur, Puri, Paradeep and Chandbali and fishermen were asked not to venture into the sea.
