BHUBANESWAR: With the weather office making a forecast of cyclone and likely floods in Odisha, the state government on Monday asked all the district collectors to remain alert till the situation is clearly understood and handled, sources said.

Based on the India Meteorological Department or IMD forecast, Special Relief Commissioner BP Sethi has asked the districts administration to remain alert and keep the administrative machinery in full preparedness to meet the eventuality.

"All officers to remain in headquarters and not to avail leave till the cyclone situation is over. District Emergency Operation Centres to function round the clock and the situation be closely monitored," Mr Sethi said in a letter.

Earlier, the National Emergency Response Centre or NERC, under the Home Ministry, had also cautioned the Odisha government against a looming cyclonic storm in the next two to three days.

Additional Director General of the IMD, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, told some Odia television channels said that the pressure depression is now moving towards Odisha and Andhra Pradesh coast. The system is likely to intensify into a deep depression on Tuesday, Mr Mohapatra said.

"Going by the satellite imagery, the deep depression is most likely to concentrate into a cyclonic storm by the morning on Wednesday and hit the coast on Thursday morning," he said.

"Under its influence, strong wind will blow across the Odisha coast from the evening on October 10 till the afternoon on October 11 while the wind speed will increase to 80-100 kmph in the south coastal Odisha in the morning on October 11," Mr Mohaptra said.

HR Biswas, the director of meteorological centre in Bhubaneswar, also confirmed that a "depression has been recorded at a distance of around 720 km from Gopalpur coast in Odisha". He said the state is likely to experience wind speed up to 90 kmph due to possible cyclone.(PTI)

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