India Today : May 03, 2019, 04:17 PM
The powerful Cyclone Fani is wreaking havoc in Odisha after it made landfall as an extremely severe cyclonic storm on the eastern coast in Puri this morning. Despite extensive damage caused by near 200 kmph winds and heavy to very heavy rainfall, no loss of life has been reported so far as over a million people were evacuated beforehand.
The IMD said that while damaging houses, thousands of trees and electricity poles, uprooting trees, the eye of Fani almost 25 km in diametre is sending off wind velocity of 150 to 175 kmph and even above at some places touching 180 or more. The eye of the cyclone has completely moved inland. However, the storm will move north-northeastwards and weaken into a very severe cyclonic storm in the next few hours and eventually into severe cyclonic storm later in the evening. Stay tuned to IndiaToday.in for the latest live news updates.
Normal life in and around Kolkata was thrown out of gear on Friday as cyclonic storm Fani made landfall in neighbouring Odisha. Squally winds and rains hit Kolkata leading to waterlogging and traffic congestion. Fani is likely to reach West Bengal by Friday evening. Coastal areas of the state also experienced heavy rains along with strong winds.A teenager was killed when a tree came crashing down on him at a place within Sakhigopal police station area limits in Puri district.
Flying debris from a concrete structure hit a woman in Nayagarh district when she had gone to fetch water, killing her. In Debendranarayanpur village in Kendrapara district, a 65-year-old woman died after suspected heart attack at a cyclone shelter, reported PTI.Three people have been killed during Cyclone Fani in Odisha, says news agency PTI quoting officials.
Cyclone Fani has been downgraded to a very severe cyclonic storm as it continues to move inland across east. Heavy rainfall and damaging winds will continue into Saturday, says AccuWeather.
