'Bulbul' likely to hit Bengal, Odisha coast at 80km/h if not weakened in 24 hrs

Kolkata: Cyclone 'Bulbul' may hit the coastal districts of Bengal and Odisha with a minimum wind speed of 80 km per hour, if it does not weaken in the next 24 hours.

The weather officials are in a fix as the cyclone has been changing its direction fast in the last 24 hours. The Regional Meteorological Centre expects the cyclonic storm to make landfall in the coastal districts of Bengal and Odisha soon.

According to a senior weather official, the cyclone has intensified further in the past 24 hours and may hit the coastal regions.

As a result, the coastal districts have been issued a red alert and fishermen have been asked not to venture into the sea in the next couple of days. Those who had earlier sailed away were asked to come to the shore within Friday.

East Midnapore district administration has been asked not to allow the tourists at all the beach towns to go to the sea on Saturday and Sunday. The police have already started campaigns to make people in the area aware.

The senior administrative officials are conducting a number of meetings to ensure that the cyclonic storm does not cause any damage. People living in the vulnerable areas of East Midnapore and South 24-Parganas may be shifted to various cyclone centres, which were set up by the government at various locations after the Aila incident.

The weather officials said that the cyclone may get weakened while approaching the Bengal coast. Other South Bengal districts including the city may not get affected by the cyclone, but they will receive light to moderate rainfall on Saturday and Sunday.

The sky will remain cloudy in the city and in other South Bengal districts from Saturday morning. The districts like South 24-Parganas, East Midnapore, West Midnapore and Jhargram may receive heavy rainfall. All the joyrides at Bakkhali in South 24-Parganas and Digha in East Midnapore will be shut down in the wake of the cyclonic storm.

Mayor Firhad Hakim will hold a meeting with the officials of various departments on Friday, to oversee the preparedness of the civic authorities in the wake of the weather alert.