Cyclonic storm "Jawad", currently over west-central Bay of Bengal, is likely to weaken into a deep depression before making landfall near Puri in Odisha on Sunday, the India Meteorological Department said on Saturday.
In wake of the threat, people were seen vacating the Puri beach area with their make-shift shops and belongings, while the deployed police were there to expedite the process.
At 5:30 am on Saturday, the cyclonic storm lay centered over westcentral Bay of Bengal about 230 km southeast of Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, and 410 km south-southwest of Puri, Odisha, the IMD said in a statement.
"It is likely to weaken gradually and move nearly northwards during the next 12 hours and then north-northeastwards along the coast of Odisha, reaching near Puri around December 5 noon as a deep depression. Subsequently, it is likely to weaken further and continue to move north-northeastwards along the coast of Odisha towards the coast of West Bengal," it said.
The name of the cyclone -- 'Jawad' -- has been proposed by Saudi Arabia.
A low-pressure area had developed over the Andaman Sea on November 30.
It intensified into a depression on December 2 and further into a deep depression on Friday morning. It turned into a cyclone on Friday noon, the IMD said.
Very heavy rainfall is likely to start in north coastal Andhra Pradesh and south coastal Odisha by Friday evening. The intensity of rainfall is likely to increase on Saturday, the Met office had said Friday.
A red colour warning has been issued for Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts for Saturday. The red colour warning has also been issued for Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur districts of Odisha.
The IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over West Bengal on Saturday and Sunday, and heavy rainfall at isolated places over Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura on Sunday and Monday.
Sea conditions will remain unsafe for shipping and fishermen in the central and north Bay of Bengal from Friday to Sunday.
(With PTI inputs)
