The Indian Meteorological Department issued a warning on Sunday that a depression over the Bay of Bengal would intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm (VSC) by the morning of 28 October and make landfall between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam.
Odisha officials responded by cancelling all leaves for disaster personnel and deploying 225 rescue teams across vulnerable districts. Chief Fire Officer Ramesh Majhi said the teams would be equipped with 225 vehicles, 1,510 high‑power chainsaws, 25 rescue tenders, 12 plasma cutters, and 225 tower lights for night operations.
A red alert was sounded for five southern districts—Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, and Malkangiri—where isolated heavy rainfall and wind speeds of 50 to 60 km/h, gusting up to 70 km/h, are expected. The cyclone’s path may bring it close to Malkangiri but it will remain in Andhra Pradesh.
The IMD also hoisted Distant Cautionary Signal No. 1 at all Odisha ports, warning that sea conditions would be rough to very rough with wind speeds of 40 to 50 km/h and gusts up to 60 km/h. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea until 29 October.
Manorama Mohanty, director of the Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar, noted that the depression would evolve into a deep depression by 25 October, a cyclonic storm by 26 October, a severe cyclonic storm by 27 October, and a VSC by 28 October.
Odisha authorities will monitor the storm’s evolution daily and are prepared to evacuate residents from high‑risk pockets if the cyclone’s trajectory deviates from the forecasted path.