THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Eight teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in central and southern Kerala to deal with any emergency situation arising out of cyclone Burevi. The teams are present in Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Kottayam and Ernakulam.
The deep depression formed over the south Bay of Bengal developed into Cyclone Burevi on Tuesday and it has the potential to cause damage in the coastal districts of South Tamil Nadu and coastal and hill areas of Kerala when it makes landfall on Friday, the State Disaster Management Authority informed.
The cyclone is expected to make landfall on the South Tamil Nadu coast on the morning of Friday between Kanyakumari and Pampan as a cyclonic storm.
The NDRF has deployed 17 teams at the coastal regions of Tamil Nadu viz. Kanyakumari, Tuticorin, Ramanathapuram, Tirunelveli, Nagapattinam, Mayiladurai, Cuddalore, Madurai and Chennai. One team is also deployed in Karaikal, Puducherry.
"Based on the IMD prediction of cyclonic storm in southern parts of the country, the NDRF has prepositioned its 27 self-contained teams in the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala. All NDRF teams are fully equipped with various types of cutting, flood rescue equipment, V-SAT & Satellite communication equipment to undertake post cyclone restoration and relief operations. A 24x7 NDRF control room in Arakkonam (Chennai) and Delhi is closely monitoring the situation round the clock and is in touch with state administrations," said NDRF officials.
Meanwhile, the Cyclonic Storm ‘Burevi’ over southwest Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 12 kmph during past six hours and lay centered over southwest Bay of Bengal about 300 km east-southeast of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka), 530 km east-southeast of Pamban and 700 km nearly east of Kanniyakumari.
It is very likely to intensify further in the next six hours and move west-northwestwards and cross Sri Lanka coast close to Trincomalee on Wednesday evening or night as a Cyclonic Storm with a wind speed of 75-85 kmph gusting to 95 kmph. It would then move nearly westwards thereafter, emerging into the Gulf of Mannar and adjoining Comorin area on Thursday morning. It would then move nearly west-southwestwards and cross south Tamil Nadu coast between Kanniyakumari and Pamban around the early morning of Friday, according to an IMD release.