The Indian Meteorological Department said on Monday that Cyclone Fani may become severe by the end of the day. It is currently over the Bay of Bengal and is moving northeast at the speed of 21 kilometres per hour.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted on Monday that he is praying for everyone's safety and that he has asked the concerned authorities to have disaster management and preventive measures in place.
He tweeted, "Spoke to officials regarding the situation arising due to Cyclone Fani. Asked them to take preventive measures and be prepared to provide all possible assistance. Also urged them to work closely with Governments of the affected states. Praying for everyone's safety and wellbeing."
PM Modi also asked the cabinet secretary to arrange a meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) to make a plan of action.
The IMD said on Monday that by tracking the movement of the cyclone, it will go 300 km away from Chennai coast before moving north-northeast after Wednesday. They also predicted that the cyclone will turn into a severe storm.
"The cyclone threat for Tamil Nadu and Puducherry has subsided with the cyclone Fani keeping away from anywhere near the shores," the IMD said. The cyclone is said to bring light rain to the Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh coastlines in the next two days, much to the relief of the resident in the latter state after the mercury levels were steadily rising in the past week.
It is difficult to accurately predict the trajectory of the cyclone more than five days in advance. "Till as far as we can see, this cyclone is remaining over sea. It will make landfall only after May 2. As such, we would be clearer about the landfall event by the afternoon of April 30. As of now, we can see the trajectory turning away from the land around April 30. If it continues in the same trajectory, a landfall over southern Odisha can be expected. But it can turn further away as well. Regular warnings are being issued and will continue to be issued," IMD Director General KJ Ramesh was quoted as saying by Indian Express.
