Severe cyclonic storm Phailin has moved north westwards during past six hours with a speed of 20 kilometres per hour and weakened further to a cyclonic storm and lay centred close to Jharsugda in Orissa.

In its latest bulletin, India Meteorological Department said that the storm would move northwestwards and weaken gradually into a deep depression by Sunday evening.

It would cause rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rains at few places in Odisha during the next 12 hours. The Met department has also forecast rainfall at most places with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall over north Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, East Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Sikkim during the next 48 hours.

Gale wind speed of 70 to 80 kilometres per hour prevailing in the forenoon is expected to gradually decrease to 45 to 55 kilometres per hour by Sunday evening over north Odisha and adjoining areas of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

The sea is expected to be rough to very rough along and off Odisha coast and very rough to high along and off north Andhra Pradesh and very rough along and off West Bengal during next 12 hours.