Cyclone Fani might hit coastal Bengal earlier than expected. While the landfall was expected in Odisha in the afternoon, it has already made its impact felt since this morning.
With early arrival in Odisha, weather experts are saying that in Bengal too, Fani will hit earlier than expected. Therefore, while the impact was to be felt in late evening, now it is being assumed that there will be heavy rainfall along with high speed wind movement from 4-6 pm.
There has been rainfall in Kolkata and elsewhere in south Bengal since morning. In some places, heavy rainfall too was witnessed. As the day progresses, the intensity of the rainfall will increase, said weather experts.
The impact is likely to be maximum in the coastal areas such as East Midnapore, West Midnapore, North and South 24 Parganas. Other areas like Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, Jhargram, East Burdwan, will also be affected. Uprooting of trees has been reported from East Midnapore already.
In these areas, people have been generally advised not to venture out. The police and civic administration have taken several measures to handle possible effects of the rampage caused by high-speed wind movement, such as clearing of uprooted trees, ensuring that hoardings do not cause damage, to offer relief wherever required.
The state government has opened a control room at the state administrative headquarters, Nabanna, and the authorities are monitoring the situation throughout the state for precautionary measures, rescue and relief operations.
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