Cyclone Lehar

The very severe cyclonic storm Lehar has been rapidly advancing towards the coastal belt of the southeast Bay of Bengal at a speed of nearly 20 km per hour (kmph), with a maximum sustained surface wind speed of 135-175 kmph recorded on Tuesday.
If India Meteorological Department (IMD)’s predictions are to be believed, the wind speed would further increase to 170-200 kmph on Wednesday and after landfall on Thursday, the system is likely to weaken over Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on November 30.
“Generally, very severe cyclones like Lehar also have a minimum radius of 250 km and the eye of the cyclone alone spans 40-50 km. The maximum movement of a severe cyclone depends on various parameters, but generally it is around 15-20 kmph. Lehar moved nearly 16 kmph on Tuesday,” OSRU Bhanu Kumar, emeritus professor, Department of Meteorology, Andhra University said.
However, as per IMD’s observations of the cyclone on Tuesday, the system lay centred about 800 km east-southeast of Kakinada of East Godavari district, 750 km southeast of Kalingapatnam of Srikakulam district and 860 km east-southeast of Machilipatnam in Krishna district.
On Tuesday too the IMD reiterated that the cyclone would most likely cross the sea between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam near Kakinada on the noon of November 28.
Under its influence, moderate rainfall at many places would commence from Wednesday afternoon over the coastal districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari, apart from a couple of areas in Yanam and south coastal Odisha. “Most places in north coastal AP will receive extremely heavy rainfall (250 mm or above) from Wednesday night to Thursday night,” the IMD has cautioned.
Squally winds would also sweep across the coastal areas of these districts at a speed of 45-65 kmph from Wednesday evening. The wind speed would increase to 170-200 kmph along and off the coastal districts of Krishna, West and East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam and Vizianagaram from Wednesday night till the time of landfall, the weathermen said.
While the sea would be rough to very rough from Wednesday evening, it would become phenomenal on Thursday and a storm surge resulting in tidal waves as high as two to three metres would inundate low lying areas of coastal districts from Srikakulam to West Godavari at the time of landfall, the IMD has cautioned.
Extensive damage to thatched houses, power and communication lines as well as agricultural crops is expected and this time rail and road traffic too would face a threat of disruption due to the cyclone because of its intensity and wind speed. IMD has strongly mooted that the government totally suspend all fishing operations, evacuate people from coastal areas and judiciously regulate rail and road traffic.