The severe cyclonic storm Helen over West Central Bay of Bengal has made landfall near Machilipatnam coast of Andhra Pradesh.

Our correspondent reports that the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N. Kiran Kumar Reddy today reviewed the situation with the Chief Secretary and other officials over the measures being taken in coastal districts to be affected by the cyclone. He asked them to extend all help to the district administration in rescue and relief operations which are already underway.

Revenue Minister N. Raghuveera Raddy, and State Disaster Management Commissioner, C. Parthasarathy have rushed to Machilipatnam this morning to take stock of the situation. Four teams of the National Disaster Response Force have taken position in Krishna district with two teams in Machilipatnam, one team each in Avanigedda and Bantumilli mandals as they were likely to be affected most. About 130 relief camps were set up for moving people from hundred villages in low-lying and vulnerable areas in 10 mandals along the coast.

Around 3000 people were shifted to safer places. The district administration is taking every measure to handle pre and post-cyclone situation in the coastal and river delta areas covering Nagayalanka, Koduru, Bantumilli, Kruthivennu, Kaikaluru and Kalidindi mandals. Farmers in the coastal belt are a worried lot as paddy and other crops in vast acreages ready for harvesting is under threat of inundation and loss due to the severe cyclonic storm.

The sea was rough to very rough all along the south and central coasts of the state and fishing activity is totally suspended as huge waves lashing the coastline which is being erased as the sea waters made advances in some pockets. Rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and isolated extremely heavy rainfall predicted in the next 36 hours over coastal Andhra Pradesh coupled with gale winds speed reaching 100-110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph. Widespread rains would also occur in Rayalseema and Telangana during next 24 hours