Cyclone Fani intensifies on high alert into severe cyclonic storm, Navy, NDRF

On Monday evening, Cyclone Fani intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and is likely to intensify further in the next 12 hours into a “very severe” cyclonic storm. The cyclone is heading north and may move after Wednesday to the Odisha coast.

The Indian Navy was highly alerted along the coast of Bengal Bay. Naval ships in Visakhapatnam and Chennai have been positioned to rush to areas in need of rescue. The Navy also prepared to undertake Humanitarian Aid Distress Relief (HADR), evacuation, and logistical support including medical assistance.

The severe cyclonic storm Fani, which is all set to turn into a very severe storm over Southeast and adjacent Southwest Bay of Bengal, moved northwest at 13 kmph speed in the past six hours and at 2:30 am it was located about 640 km east-northeast of Trincomalee in Sri Lanka, 710 km east-southeast of Chennai and 810 km southeast of Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh.