The very severe cyclonic storm ‘Lehar’ over southeast and adjoining central Bay of Bengal moved west-north westward and lay centred over the west central and adjoining south Bay of Bengal at about 700 km east-southeast of Machilipatnam, 640 km east-southeast of Kakinada and 620 km southeast of Kalingapatnam.

The system is expected to intensify further and move west-north westwards and cross Andhra Pradesh coast near Machilipatnam around afternoon of tomorrow.

Alerting the coastal districts the Met Department has asked for evacuation of people from low lying areas and to regulate rail and road traffic in the next couple of days.

Control rooms in all 9 coastal districts at district and divisional levels are opened. Special officers who have been nominated to the coastal districts are supervising the rescue and relief operations.

A total suspension of fishing activity has been notified along and off the coast.

A total of 33 teams of NDRF have been deployed in Visakhapatnam, East and West Godavari and Krishna districts, with 16 teams going alone to East Godavari where the cyclone is expected to make landfall near Kakinada.

Under the influence of the system rains with squally winds speed reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph are likely to commence from evening of today and intensify thereafter to heavy to very heavy falls as the system nears the coast. The winds are expected to increase in intensity with gale wind speed reaching 150-160 kmph gusting to 170 kmph along and off the coastal districts.