Cyclone Laila Stationary even as Heavy Rains Continue; Toll 27

Cyclone Laila continues to be stationary near south coastal Andhra Pradesh as heavy rains and wind storms batter the region for the third consecutive day today, killing 27 people and flooding towns and villages, said media reports.

Rains and gales paralysed the transport system and disrupted electricity and communication, reports said.

The worst-hi Prakasam and Guntur districts registered heavy downpour while Nellore and Krishna districts were also receiving rains accompanied by strong winds, said reports.

The cyclone, which hit the state at the coast near Bapatla town in Guntur district yesterday, re-emerged into Bay of Bengal and practically remained stationary near the port town of Machilipatnam in Krishna district, said reports.

“The system is likely to weaken gradually and move initially in a northerly direction and then recurve into a northeasterly direction towards Orissa,” an India Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin said at 7.30am today.

The department predicted widespread rainfall with scattered heavy to very heavy falls and isolated extremely heavy falls (25 cm or more) over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana during the next 24 hours, reports said.

Widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy falls is likely over south coastal Andhra Pradesh during the same period, said reports.

Gale force wind with speed reaching 75-85 kmph gusting to 95 kmph is likely along and off the Andhra Pradesh coast during the next 12 hours, reports said.

In the meanwhile, the death toll due to the cyclone went up to 27, said reports.

Over 50,000 people remained in 255 relief camps.

(Based on internet reports)