Cyclone Helen makes landfall in coastal Andhra Pradesh, 7 dead

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that storm surge of about 1 to 1.5m height would inundate the low-lying areas of West and East Godavari, Krishna, Guntur districts and adjoining areas of Prakasham district.



The IMD has warned that even after landfall the storm is likely to maintain the intensity for six hours and gradually weaken into a deep depression in subsequent six hours while moving westwards across coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

With heavy rains likely to continuing in coastal districts over next 36 hours, authorities have evacuated 17,000 people from low-lying areas.

C. Parthasarathi, commissioner, disaster management, said 66 relief camps were opened.

The high-speed wind has damaged coconut, banana and paddy crops, and dealt another blow to farmers who are still recovering from the heavy damage caused by last month's Cyclone Phailin and accompanying heavy rain.

Rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and isolated extremely heavy rainfall (25cm or more) would occur over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and adjoining Guntur, Krishna, West Godavari districts of south coastal Andhra Pradesh during next 36 hours, said a bulletin by the IMD.