Cyclone Jawad: 1 dead in Andhra Pradesh; evacuations underway
A 17-year-old girl died after a tree uprooted and fell on her in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh on Saturday as cyclonic storm Jawad (pronounced Jowad) began its impact in the area. The cyclone is caused by a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal which is heading toward coast. It is expected to make landfall near Puri, Odisha around Sunday noon. Here are more updates.
Why does it matter?
Jawad will be the third cyclone along the east coast this year. The area was earlier hit by Cyclone Yaas in May and Cyclone Gulab in September which collectively killed dozens and caused huge damage to public property. In fact, South India is still reeling from the devastating flash flooding which killed nearly 40 people. The title Jawad has been proposed by Saudi Arabia.
Red alert for Vizag, Puri, other areas
A red alert has been issued for several districts of Andhra Pradesh including Srikakulam, Vizianagram, and Visakhapatnam. Further, a similar warning has been sounded for parts of Odisha - Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, and Jagatsinghpur. A red alert indicates severe weather that can pose a threat to life and disrupt travel and power supply in the area.
54,000 people evacuated in AP
More than 54,000 people have been evacuated from three districts in Andhra Pradesh. They include 15,755 people evacuated from Srikakulam, 36,553 from Visakhapatnam, and some 1,700 from Vizianagaram. Meanwhile, a total of 64 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams will be deployed in regions expected to be hit by the storm. Andhra Pradesh has also deployed six Coast Guard and 10 Marine Police teams.
Schools shut; key exam postponed
Schools have been ordered shut in 19 districts of Odisha including Ganjam, Puri, Cuttack, and Jajpur, among others. Separately, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has postponed the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) exam in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. The paper was scheduled to be held on Sunday, December 5. A fresh date will be issued later, the NTA said.
75 more trains canceled
The Indian Railways announced the cancellation of 75 additional trains that were scheduled for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. On Thursday, the East Coast Railway had said 95 trains would be canceled in view of Cyclone Jawad.
