The Odisha and Andhra Pradesh governments have stepped up preparedness as a depression over the Bay of Bengal is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm and make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast on October 28, officials said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the system, which developed from a well-marked low-pressure area into a depression on October 24, is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm by the morning of October 26 and a severe cyclonic storm around October 27. It is forecast to cross the coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam by the forenoon of October 28.
The Odisha government has prioritised evacuation, emergency response and restoration of essential services in five vulnerable southern districts: Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri.
Schools, colleges and Anganwadi centres in these districts will remain closed on October 28 and 29, with heavy rainfall and strong winds expected.
The state has cancelled leave for district-level officers and staff in vulnerable areas, directing them to remain at their headquarters.
Twenty-four-hour control rooms have also been activated at district, block, tehsil and urban local body levels, with public helplines made available.
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority Managing Director Prakhar Jain urged residents to remain extremely alert as the depression intensifies, cautioning against lowering their guard.
