Cyclone Fani intensifies in Odisha on Friday, over a million evacuated: LIVE Updates

After gradual withdrawal of Cyclone Fani from Bhubaneshwar, an assessment was carried out by the Airport Authority of India at Bhubaneshwar to evaluate the damage and decide when the aviation services can be restored. 

Authorities have put out a brief report on present status and damages caused by Cyclone Fani in Odisha. 

Take a look:

India Meteorological Department informed cyclonic storm Fani is very likely to continue to move north-northeastwards during next 12 hrs and emerge into Gangetic West Bengal with a wind speed of 80-90 kmph gusting to 105 kmph by the early morning of May 4.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has made the
highest ever deployment in the country for any cyclonic storm after 
Phallin (2013), when 63 NDRF teams were deployed for rescue & 
relief work.

65 NDRF teams have been pre-positioned/deployed in 
vulnerable/flood prone areas of Odisha (38 teams), Andhra Pradesh 
(12 teams), West Bengal (06 teams), 01 teams each in Arunachal 
Pradesh, Nagaland and Meghalaya and 02 teams each in 
Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu & Kerala for rescue & relief work in coastal 
& flood-prone areas. In addition, 48 rescue & relief teams of NDRF 
are put on alert standby at various NDRF bases and shall be 
mobilized as per requirement.

All available resources that include response equipment, 
communication equipment and relief materials are kept on ready in vulnerable locations. 

 Despite all odds, NDRF responders are leaving no stone unturned to assist the local administration in restoring the normalcy. Teams are engaged in clearing the roads/tracks by cutting/removing of damaged/uprooted trees in coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal. Every effort is being made to evacuate the trapped people from affected areas to relief shelters. 

Till now, over 11.5 lakh persons have been evacuated by all 
agencies from the vulnerable areas of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha & 
West Bengal.

Director General, NDRF is closely monitoring the situation round 
the clock and is in close touch with other agencies and stakeholders.

Assam put on high alert as heavy rains continue. Eastern Air Command is on alert and 6 light helicopters are kept on standby.  

Four AN 32 Aircraft have also been kept ready with medical relief, medical help and NDRF team to act in the situation of crisis. Helicopters have been kept ready at Bagdogra and Purnea for quick deployment in Odisha and West Bengal. 

Indian Railways have permitted free transportation of relief material.

Take a look:

Naval Dornier Aircraft Completes Aerial Survey – Extensive Devastation Observed Around Puri  

The Naval Dornier Aircraft deployed to carry out an aerial survey of Odisha to assess the impact of the Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘FANI’ crossing coast near Puri. It observed extensive devastation to vegetation in many places around Puri.  A large number of trees and electric poles were found uprooted creating roadblocks in the city limits of Puri. The rooftop of Puri Railway Station was found to be blown off.  Large scale water inundation was observed in many, particularly in low lying areas between Puri and Chilka Lake. The Dornier crew observed very strong winds of nearly 50 knots during the sortie.  The footage of the aerial survey is being shared with the State Administration officials for planning relief and rehabilitation activities.

Meghalaya braces for Cyclone Fani

• One NDRF platoon, comprising 25 to 30 personnel, has been sought from Guwahati.
• The IMD has warned of thundersquall accompanied by gusty winds and heavy rains for the next 48 hours.
• The storm would start to affect the states of Tripura Mizoram Manipur and Nagaland.
• The officials of all the 11 districts have been asked to be on alert.
• The district disaster management authorities have asked all residents to take precautions.

NDRF Relief team has sent a team of doctors, engineers and deep-sea divers to flood-prone areas along the coast and as far afield Andaman and Nicobar Islands
 

Around 1.2 million people were evacuated from low-lying areas of Odisha and moved to nearly 4,000 shelters
 

Indian officials put the navy, air force, army and coast guard on high alert
Communiation disrupted in some areas in Odisha
 

The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority has suspended operations of all vessels

WATCH: Skymet Weather update on Cyclone Fani as it makes landfall on India's east coast and moves towards West Bengal from Odisha.

Update for the next 24 hours:

• Heavy to very heavy rains expected in Bihar and Jharkhand.
• Rest of the parts will also observe moderate rain and thundershowers.
• The cyclone will further move towards Northeast India.
• Weather conditions will then become dry and temperatures will start increasing once again. 

READ: As Cyclone Fani Hits India's East Coast, Here's How The Train And Flight Services Have Been Affected: UPDATES

Visuals from Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar after #FaniCyclone made landfall in Puri earlier in the day. Restoration process underway.

BJP National Spokesperson Dr Sambit Patra tweets:

Prayers for the safety of everyone in the area that could be affected by #CycloneFani: Riteish Deshmukh.

Cyclone Fani makes landfall in Odisha's Puri district.

Odisha’s emergency helpline number for Cyclone Fani +916742534177, Control room number of different districts have been issued:

A total of 11,54,149 have been evacuated from Odisha so far as per agencies

Cyclone Fani to weaken into very severe cyclonic storm during the next 3 hours: IMD

Airlines must immediately respond to concerns of passengers affected by Cyclone Fani: Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu.

Indian Oil Corporation: Arrangements are in place for uninterrupted fuel supply in Odisha and West Bengal. 

The IOC is continuing to operate its 15 million tonnes per annum capacity refinery at Paradip on Odisha coast. The refinery is designed to withstand cyclones with a speed of more than 200 kilometres per hour.

The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority has further  suspended operations of all vessels.

Updated Paradip Radar image at 13:00 hrs of Cyclone Fani moving in Northerly direction at a speed of 12 kmph. Eye diameter is 17.8 km:

Cyclone 'Fani' that has become "extremely severe" is likely to hit the Odisha coast on Friday morning. The India Meteorological Department issued a notice on Tuesday.

In its 12 pm bulletin on Thursday, the Cyclone Warning Division of the IMD said Fani (pronounced as Foni) lays over southeast and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal, about 830 km nearly south of Puri (Odisha) and 670 km south-southeast of Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and about 680 km northeast of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka).

'Fani' is "very likely" to move further north-north-eastwards and emerge into Bangladesh on Saturday evening, the IMD said.

Light to moderate rainfall with heavy to extremely heavy falls at isolated locations is expected in north Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha till Friday.

Rains are also likely in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and Nagaland with chances of heavy falls at certain locations on Saturday and Sunday.

The sea condition is phenomenal over west-central Bay of Bengal, off the north Andhra Pradesh coast till Friday and over north-west Bay of Bengal off Odisha and West Bengal till Saturday.

The IMD said sea conditions are "very likely to be very rough" to high off north Tamilnadu, Puducherry, along and off south Andhra Pradesh coasts till Friday.

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into deep sea areas.

It warned that the cyclone is likely to cause damages to all types of houses, communication, and power poles, road and rail infrastructure. 

Extensive damages to standing crops, plantations and blowing down of coconut and palm trees are also feared besides chances of ships and large boats getting torn from their moorings. 

India Meteorological Department: #CycloneFani is very likely to cross Odisha Coast b/w Gopalpur&Chandbali, south of Puri during 3rd May forenoon with maximum sustained wind speed of 170-180 kmph gusting to 200 kmph. Landfall process is very likely to continue till noon of 3rd May, (ANI input) 

Jagatsinghpur district's Paradip on high alert in view of #CycloneFani

Strong winds and rainfall hit Puri in Odisha

50 Buses from Digha on May 3 to evacuate the stranded tourists at Digha to minimise inconvenience caused due to suspension of train operations to Digha on that day. #CycloneFani
(ANI inputs)

East Coast Railway: It has further been decided to cancel 10 more trains - 7 trains on 3rd May, one train on 4th May, one train on 6th May & one train on 7th May. Railways had earlier cancelled 147 trains from 1st to 3rd May.

Impact of landfall process has begun according to IMD

(from NDRF)