Cyclone Gulab: Extremely heavy rains to lash north coastal AP; heavy rains in Telangana

At 5.30 a.m on Sunday, the cyclone lay centered about 270 km east-southeast of Odisha's coastal town Gopalpur and 330 km east of Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

"The 'Cyclone Gulab' over northwest and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal moved nearly westwards with a speed of 10 kmph during the last six hours and lay centered at 5:30 a.m Sunday over northwest and adjoining west central Bay of Bengal near latitude 18.3°north and longitude 87.3°east, about 270 km east-southeast of Gopalpur (Odisha) and 330 km east of Kalingapatnam in (Andhra Pradesh)," said the IMD update.

It further said it is likely to move westwards and cross north Andhra Pradesh-south Odisha coasts between Kalingapatnam and Gopalpur as a cyclonic storm with maximum sustained wind speed of 75-85 kmph gusting to 95 kmph around midnight.

Under the influence of the cyclone, extremely heavy rainfall has been predicted in north coastal Andhra Pradesh. Telangana will witness heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places, the IMD said. Issuing an orange alert for the next 48 hours, the IMD said very heavy rainfall (115.6 mm-204.4 mm) will lash at isolated places in Adilabad, Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Peddapalli, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Khammam, Mahabubabad, Warangal (Rural), Warangal (Urban), Siddipet, Yadadri Bhuvangiri, Sangareddy, Medak, Kamareddy districts.

Heavy rainfall (64.5 mm-115.5 mm) is very likely to occur at isolated places in Nirmal, Nizamabad, Jagityal, Rajanna Sirsilla, Mulugu, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Vikarabad, Jogulamba Gadwal districts of Telangana. Thunderstorms accompanied with Lightning with wind speed 30-40 kmph are very likely to occur at isolated places in all districts of Telangana.

Tidal wave of about 0.5 m height above the astronomical tide is likely to inundate low-lying areas of Srikakulam, Sompeta, and Vizianagaram districts in north coastal Andhra Pradesh and Ganjam district in Odisha during the time of landfall. After the landfall, the system is likely to maintain the cyclonic storm intensity with slight weakening of wind speed during the subsequent six hours over south Odisha and adjoining north coastal Andhra Pradesh, the weather agency said.

It is likely to move west-northwest wards across south Odisha and south Chhattisgarh and weaken gradually into a depression during the subsequent 12 hours. Gale wind speed reaching 60-70 kmph gusting to 80 kmph is likely to prevail over north Andhra Pradesh (Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, and Visakhapatnam districts) and south Odisha coasts (Ganjam and Gajapati districts) from Sunday midnight to early morning of 27 September. Squally wind with speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph is likely to prevail over north Telangana on Monday.

Due to Cyclone Gulab, South Central Railway (SCR) has cancelled 12 trains and short terminated, diverted, and regulated trains.

The IMD further said that due to strong winds and heavy rainfall, there will be damage to thatched huts and minor damages to power and communication lines due to breaking of branches and uprooting of trees.