Schools shut, shelters readied: Odisha, Andhra, Tamil Nadu gear up for cyclone

A very severe cyclonic storm is a tropical weather system with extremely powerful sustained winds. It belongs to a high-intensity category used by the India Meteorological Department. Such a system can damage buildings, trees, roads, power lines and communication networks. It can also produce very heavy rain and dangerous sea conditions. An ordinary storm is usually smaller or weaker and may cause limited local disruption. The difference is mainly the storm’s wind strength and the scale of its hazards.

This system is forecast to have maximum sustained winds of 115–125 kmph. Gusts could reach 140 kmph. The IMD also expects heavy to very heavy rainfall, with isolated extremely heavy falls exceeding 20 centimetres in five Odisha districts. These conditions can make travel unsafe and overwhelm local services.

The forecast storm is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast on October 28. Odisha is preparing because southern and coastal districts may still face strong winds and intense rain. The government has mobilised rescue teams, shelters and emergency departments to reduce casualties.

The expected cyclone is large enough to threaten several districts and many communities, although the article does not give a population estimate. The IMD forecasts maximum sustained winds of 115–125 kmph, with gusts reaching 140 kmph. It also predicts heavy to very heavy rainfall across Odisha from October 27 to 29. These figures show why authorities are preparing before landfall.

Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati and Ganjam have red warnings for October 28. Those districts could receive very heavy rainfall, including isolated falls exceeding 20 centimetres. Gusty surface winds may reach 60–70 kmph in Odisha, alongside thunderstorms and lightning. The cyclone is expected to cross between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam.

The storm may make landfall about 300 kilometres from Gopalpur in Odisha. Schools and care centres are closed in the five warning districts. Odisha has prepared 100 cyclone shelters in Ganjam and identified 1,000 temporary locations, while rescue teams stand ready across vulnerable areas.

Cyclone closures and evacuations are preventive safety measures. Strong winds, intense rain, lightning, flooding and fallen debris can make travel dangerous. Schools and Anganwadi centres may also be needed as safe facilities or temporary support locations. Moving people before conditions worsen gives rescue teams more time and reduces the chance that families become trapped or require urgent evacuation.

Odisha ordered schools, colleges and Anganwadi centres closed in Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri on October 28 and 29. Officials were told to move residents from vulnerable areas, paying special attention to elderly people, patients and pregnant women. People needing medical attention will be shifted to healthcare facilities when necessary.

The state has prepared around 60 ODRAF teams, 17 NDRF teams and 225 Fire Services teams. Ganjam has 100 cyclone shelters and 1,000 temporary locations ready. Health facilities are stocking medicines, medical kits and anti-snake venom for emergencies caused by flooding and waterlogging.

Landfall marks where the cyclone’s centre crosses the coast, not the boundary of its effects. A powerful weather system has broad bands of rain and wind around that centre. As it moves northwestwards over the Bay of Bengal, those bands can reach neighbouring coastal states. Odisha can therefore experience serious weather even when the centre crosses Andhra Pradesh.

The IMD expects landfall between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam by the forenoon of October 28. Officials estimate the landfall could occur around 300 kilometres from Gopalpur in Odisha. Even at that distance, southern and coastal Odisha districts are likely to face heavy rainfall and strong winds. The forecast also includes thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds reaching 60–70 kmph.

Odisha has issued its strongest preparations in five districts: Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri. Schools are closed there, shelters are ready, and rescue teams are deployed. The state is preparing for indirect impacts such as flooding, waterlogging and damaged services.

The IMD monitors the system and issues forecasts about its movement, strength, rainfall and wind. Governments use those forecasts to identify places at risk and act before conditions become dangerous. A red warning signals the possibility of very heavy or extremely heavy rain, while port warning signals alert maritime authorities, fishermen and coastal communities to worsening sea conditions.

The IMD forecasts landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast on October 28, with heavy to very heavy rain in Odisha from October 27 to 29. A red warning covers Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati and Ganjam. Tamil Nadu has hoisted cyclone warning signals at nine ports, including Chennai, Nagapattinam and Cuddalore. Fishermen were advised not to enter the sea from October 24.

These alerts support decisions such as closing schools, cancelling official leave, preparing shelters and moving vulnerable residents. They also help departments stock medicines, position rescue teams and protect essential services. As forecasts change, district collectors can adjust closures and evacuations to local conditions.

Cyclones create several hazards beyond their headline wind speeds. Torrential rain can flood low-lying areas and leave roads waterlogged. Lightning and thunderstorms threaten people outdoors. Strong winds can bring down trees, damage buildings and disrupt electricity, communications and transport. Floodwater can also make rescue and medical access difficult, while stagnant or contaminated water can increase health risks. The article specifically mentions flooding and waterlogging as emergency concerns.

Odisha expects heavy to very heavy rain from October 27 to 29. The IMD warns of thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds reaching 60–70 kmph. The state has told departments to restore essential services quickly and repair damage caused by wind and rain. Health facilities in vulnerable areas must stock medicines, medical kits and anti-snake venom injections.

These preparations show that cyclone response continues after evacuation. Fire Services, ODRAF and NDRF teams may need to clear routes, rescue residents and support affected communities. Shelters and temporary locations provide safer places while water levels, roads and power services are assessed.

A low-pressure area is a region where air pressure is lower than nearby surroundings. Over warm ocean water, evaporation adds moisture to the air. That moist air rises, cools and forms clouds. Condensation releases heat, which can make more air rise and lower pressure further. Air then flows toward the centre and begins rotating because of Earth’s rotation. If the system remains organised, it can strengthen into a depression and then a cyclone.

The article records this progression over the central and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal. The well-marked low-pressure area intensified into a depression on October 24. It subsequently developed into a cyclonic system. The IMD then forecast further intensification into a very severe cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal.

The system is expected to move northwestwards toward the Andhra Pradesh coast. Its strengthening matters because stronger circulation can produce higher winds, heavier rain and wider disruption. The forecast of 115–125 kmph winds and gusts up to 140 kmph has prompted evacuations, shelter preparation and emergency deployments.