By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : The meteorological office here Wednesday issued a cyclone warning in Orissa putting the state’s four ports on high alert.
“A deep depression formed over the central Bay of Bengal and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal has moved in the northwesterly direction and intensified into a cyclonic storm,” S.K. Dastidar of the Bhubaneswar met office told IANS.
In the evening, it was laying centered at about 500 km south-south-east of Orissa’s Gopalpur town, Dastidar said describing the storm as Bijli.
It is likely to intensify further and move in a north-northwesterly direction for some time, he said.
Rain or thundershowers were likely to occur at many places over coastal Orissa and a few places over interior Orissa in the next 48 hours, he said.
Heavy rains are also likely at isolated places in coastal districts.
Local Cautionary Signal Number-three (LC-III) has been hoisted at the Gopalpur, Puri, Paradeep and Chandbali ports, he said.
Strong winds with a speed of around 70 km per hour are likely to prevail along and off the Orissa coast Thursday morning. Sea condition will be rough to very rough and fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea.