Cyclone Fani Update: 6 Killed in Odisha's Puri, IMD Says Storm Expected to Weaken by Evening

New Delhi, May 3: At least six people have been killed in Odisha's Puri, where Cyclone Fani made landfall on Friday morning. However, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi, said that Cyclone Fani has moved away from Andhra Pradesh and hence the department has issued a de-warning in Andhra Pradesh. Mrityunjay Mohapatra of the IMD said that in the next three hours, Cyclone Fani is expected to weaken with a wind speed of 150-160 km per hour. The cyclone is expected to weaken and move northwestwards, said Mohapatra. The maximum damage has been caused in the state of Odisha, said reports. Cyclone Fani Live News Updates.

By evening, Cyclone Fani may weaken into severe cyclonic storm over extreme northern part of Odisha, said reports. Earlier on Friday morning, Cyclone Fani made landfall on the eastern coast wreaking havoc in Odisha. Fani Meaning Explained: Here's All About The Name Of The Extremely Severe Cyclone Which Made Landfall in Odisha Today.

A great deal of damage was caused by the windfall of the cyclone. Houses were shattered,  thousands of trees uprooted and electricity poles flew in the strong winds.

The eye of the cyclone which was even an hour back party over the Bay of Bengal has completely moved inland.v The cyclone started crossing into the Odisha coast close to Puri between 8 am and 10 am on Friday. The process of landfall will continue till 1 pm.

The cyclone has completely thrown normal life out of gear with heavy to very heavy rains lashing the coastal districts since Thursday night. The road network in several districts suffered extensive damage.

The power distribution network has also been severely affected. Asbestos sheets of temporary housing facilities have been ripped off.

About 20,000 people were shifted to 126 relief camps in Srikakulam district, where seven 'mandals' (blocks) are likely to be affected by the cyclone. A red alert was sounded in the district with authorities taking preventive measures to avoid loss of life and minimise property damages.

Nine National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams were deployed in the district. According to Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) officials in Amaravati, Srikakulam's Kanchili 'mandal' received highest rainfall of 19 cm since Thursday.

The heavy rains could also cause Vamsadhara and Nagavali rivers to overflow leading to floods in the region, officials said. Heavy downpours also lashed Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam, two other districts in the north coastal Andhra, since Thursday.

The Indian Railways have cancelled about 100 trains between Visakhapatnam and Howrah on Friday and Saturday. Authorities have also cancelled 22 flights from Visakhapatnam Airport. The cyclone is expected to affect the regular pattern of weather conditions in some parts of Nepal. Indian Navy's P-8I and Dornier are being scheduled to be launched in the afternoon for undertaking aerial survey to assess the extent of impact and devastation post FANI crossing the coast. (With Agency Inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 03, 2019 01:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).