Cyclone Fani LIVE updates: 12 killed in Bangladesh, 12 in Odisha

Cyclone Fani is being seen as the most severe cyclonic storm over the east coast in nearly two decades. Stay with us for latest updates

1:57 PM

Cyclone 'Fani' no more a threat to West Bengal: Met official

Cyclone 'Fani', which ravaged most parts of Odisha and left 12 people dead, poses no threat to West Bengal anymore, as it weakens further before entering neighbouring Bangladesh, a senior official said on Saturday.

 

As per forecast, there will be moderate to light rainfall, particularly in the districts adjacent to Bangladesh, but the weather condition in and around the city will normalise through the course of the day, Deputy Director General of the Regional Meteorological Centre here, Sanjib Bandyopadhyay said.

 

"There is absolutely no threat from this system (cyclone Fani) to West Bengal. The very severe cyclonic storm had weakened into a severe cyclonic storm over Odisha coast before entering West Bengal," he said.

12:41 PM

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12:00 PM

Cyclone Fani moving towards Bangladesh, no major impact in West Bengal

People of West Bengal heaved a sigh of relief as severe cyclonic storm Fani weakened on Saturday morning and was moving towards neighbouring Bangladesh, a senior official of the regional meteorological centre said.

 

The city witnessed wind speeds of 30-40 kmph with moderate to heavy rainfall overnight, he said.

 

There was no report of any casualty or major damage in the districts through which the cyclone passed, officials said.

 

"Fani is likely to continue to move north-northeastwards and weaken further over the next six hours.

 

"It is very likely to move further north-northeastwards and enter Bangladesh around noon as a deep depression with wind speeds of 50-60 kmph, gusting to 70 kmph," Deputy Director General of the Regional Meteorological Centre here Sanjib Bandyopadhyay told PTI.

 

The very severe cyclonic storm weakened into a severe cyclonic storm over the Odisha coast, before moving further north-northeastwards and entering West Bengal through Kharagpur in West Midnapore around 12.30 am on Saturday.

 

"It has moved to Arambagh in Hooghly and is now in Nadia district...and is moving towards Murshidabad district," Bandyopadhyay said.

11:08 AM

11:06 AM

Air India steps forward to help the residents of Odisha affected by Cyclone Fani

Air India steps forward to help the residents of Odisha affected by Cyclone Fani  If any (NGO/ Civil society/ SHG etc) wants to send relief materials to cyclone affected area of Odisha, Air India would ship it free of cost.

11:01 AM

Cyclone Fani: Modi to visit Odisha on May 6 to take stock of situation

10:59 AM

10:59 AM

As West Bengal gears up for Cyclone Fani's landfall, PM Modi speaks to governor

As West Bengal braces for Cyclone Fani's landfall, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the governor of the state, Keshari Nath Tripathi, on Saturday about the ground situation.

 

During his conversation with Tripathi, the prime minister reiterated the Centre's readiness to provide all help needed to cope with the extremely severe cyclonic storm.

 

"Also conveyed my solidarity with the people of Bengal in the wake of Cyclone Fani," Modi said in a tweet.

10:16 AM

8:47 AM

Cyclone Fani uproots trees, triggers heavy rains in West Bengal

Cyclone Fani, one of the strongest storms to batter the Indian subcontinent in decades, uprooted trees and triggered rains as it entered West Bengal post midnight on Saturday, hours after making landfall and causing havoc in Odisha on Friday.

 

According to the Meteorological department, the extremely severe cyclonic storm relatively weakened after entering coastal Odisha and transformed into "very severe" as it approached Bengal.

8:39 AM

Fani uproots trees, triggers heavy rains in Bengal

Cyclone Fani, one of the strongest storms to batter the Indian subcontinent in decades, uprooted trees and triggered rains as it entered West Bengal post midnight on Saturday, hours after making landfall and causing havoc in Odisha on Friday.

 

According to the Meteorological department, the extremely severe cyclonic storm relatively weakened after entering coastal Odisha and transformed into "very severe" as it approached Bengal.

11:05 PM

9:14 PM

In pic: Navan Dornier Aircraft conducting aerial survey of Puri

8:27 PM

8 die, power and telecom infra damaged

The storm has so far claimed eight lives and caused a severe damage to property and public infrastructure in 13 coastal districts of the state.

 

At least three people were reported to have been killed in Puri, besides another three in the Bhubaneswar region, and one each in Kendrapara and Nayagarh.

More than 100,000 electric poles have been ravaged in Puri and Khurda districts. Not a single electric pole is standing in Puri in the aftermath of the cyclone, said Hemant Sharma, secretary (energy) in the Odisha government

Read full article here

7:49 PM

Cyclone Fani wrecks havoc in Odisha, adjoining area: Skymet

7:45 PM

Tower collapses in 400 KV Baripada-Pandiabili line near Chandka

7:45 PM

Bhubaneshwar flight operations expected to begin by 1 pm on Saturday

Equipment at Bhubaneswar airport have been significantly damaged but flight operations are expected to begin by 1 pm Saturday, the civil aviation ministry said in a statement Friday. Read more here 

7:09 PM

Visuals of heavy rainfall and strong winds from West Bengal's Digha

6:34 PM

Visuals from Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar after cylone Fani hit Odisha

6:31 PM

Cyclone Fani causes extensive damage to kuchha houses, old buildings and temporary shops in Puri

6:12 PM

Severity of cyclones in Bay of Bengal on the rise, say scientists

The Indian subcontinent, particularly India and Bangladesh, might have to brace for cyclones similar to Fani, termed extremely severe, in the years to come.

 

The pattern of cyclones over the Bay of Bengal in the last few decades shows that the intensity of cyclones in the region is on the rise. Climate change, leading to higher sea temperatures, is to be blamed for this impending threat, say scientists. Read more

 

5:47 PM

AIIMS PG exam, scheduled on 5th May, cancelled for Bhubaneshwar centre

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5:27 PM

Visuals: Cyclone Fani batters Bhubaneswar airport

5:07 PM

Named after the storm: Odisha woman calls her newborn baby 'Fani'

A baby was born in an Odisha railway hospital as the extremely severe storm wreaked its havoc on Friday and her name came to officials in a flash -- she could only be Lady Fani for them.

 

The baby was born at 11.03 am in the railway hospital in Mancheswar, barely five km from the Odisha capital Bhubaneswar, officials said. Read more 

 

4:45 PM

Odisha has evacuated nearly 1.1 million people

The state administration had evacuated nearly 11 lakh people two days ahead of the cyclone from about 10,000 villages and 52 urban agglomerations in probably the largest evacuation exercise at the time of a natural calamity in the country.

 

The evacuees have been accommodated in over 4,000 shelters, including 880 specially designed cyclone centres.

4:40 PM

Heavy rainfall predicted in Odisha and its neighbouring states

Moderate rainfall is expected at most places, heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy rains at isolated places over coastal Odisha and adjoining districts of interior parts of the state on Friday.

 

Most places in Odisha is likely to receive light to moderate rains on Saturday with heavy to very heavy rainfall occurring at isolated places in Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts.

 

In Andhra Pradesh, light to moderate rainfall is likely at most places with heavy to very heavy rains at isolated places over Srikakulam district on Friday. Also light to moderate rainfall is likely in West Bengal on Friday, with heavy to very heavy showers at a few places and extremely heavy rains at isolated places.

 

Light to moderate rainfall is expected at most places and heavy rains at isolated places over sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim on Saturday.

4:23 PM

Cyclone 'Fani' bites Odisha

Cyclone 'Fani' rolled through Odisha on Friday, packing rain and windstorm that gusted up to 175 kmph, leaving at least three people dead, blowing away thatched houses, and swamping towns and villages.

 

While a teenage boy was killed when a tree collapsed on him in Puri, flying debris from a concrete structure left a woman dead in Nayagarh. An elderly woman died of heart attack at a relief shelter in Kendrapara district. Read more