Cyclone Gulab: Storm weakens into a deep depression, likely to further weaken

Earlier, due toturbulence in sea on the account of cyclonic storm Gulab, two fishermen from Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam died and one went missing after a boat capsized in Bay of Bengal on Sunday.

According to Sub Inspector of Vajrapukotturu Police Station, Govindarao, “There were six fishermen, all residents of Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam, on the boat, out of which five fell in the sea due to strong waves”.

The officer informed that out of these five persons who fell in the sea, three reached ashore safely but, two others died.

Special Relief Commissioner P K Jena said after 12 noon of Sunday, the cyclonic storm suddenly picked up speed and moved over the Bay of Bengal towards the landmass at 25 kilometres per hour (kmph) from the earlier 17 kmph and made the landfall three hours ahead of the expected time.

“Though three hours have passed since the landfall process started at 6 pm, there is so far not much strong wind nor was there heavy rainfall from any parts of Odisha. Intermittent mild to moderate rainfall is reported from a few districts,” Special Relief Commissioner P K Jena said.

The landfall was made at Miduguda and Tokali villages near Kalingapatnam town in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said.

During the landfall, the wind speed of the cyclone at Kalingapatanam was about 90 kmph while it was 30 kmph at Gopalpur in Odisha, he said.

The system will enter Odisha’s Koraput district before moving towards Chhattisgarh on Monday.