The Hindu : Front Page : Cyclone threat to AP coast

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Friday, Oct 28, 2005

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Cyclone threat to AP coast

Special Correspondent

Depression causes torrential rain; many districts put on alert

TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR: Heavy rain lashed Nellore district on Thursday — Photo: K. Ramesh Babu

HYDERABAD: Still recovering from the aftermath of the two prolonged spells of downpour, Andhra Pradesh is bracing itself for a fresh battering by heavy rain and strong gales in the wake of a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal.

The depression, which lay about 180 km off Nellore on Thursday evening, threatens to hit the coast anytime on Friday after intensifying into a cyclonic storm.

An indication of what is in store was available as the depression, which was gathering strength, unleashed torrential rain in North Tamil Nadu and adjoining South Coastal Andhra and the Rayalaseema region.

A car coming from Chennai was swept away in a swollen stream near Bommajigunta on the Andhra Pradesh-Tamil Nadu border in Satyavedu mandal of Chittoor district. A woman, Padma (35), and her two children-- Hari (14) and Vinod (12)-- were feared to have been washed away though the car itself could not be traced. Landslips on the Tirumala ghat road badly affected traffic.

According to a forecast, the depression is likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm and cross the coast between Chennai and Ongole after moving in a west north-westerly direction.

After a review of the situation by Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy Nellore, Prakasam, Guntur, Krishna and all of Rayalaseema region have been put on high alert with instructions to Collectors to prepare the administration to meet any emergency. Very heavy rain and gales of 70-80 kmph on and off the coast have been predicted for these areas.

Around 10 cm of rain lashed many places in these regions, disrupting rail and road traffic.

Traffic hit

Disaster Management Commissioner D. C. Rosaiah said traffic towards Chennai from Tada and Sullurpet was paralysed following inundation of roads. Train movement from Chennai Central had also come to a halt with the cancellation of several services up to Friday afternoon.

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