Cyclone Fani, a 'very severe' natural disaster is set to hit India's eastern coast

• The Indian Meteorlogical department just classified the threat from Cyclone Fani as 'very severe'.
• The storm is expected to hit the country's eastern coast in the state of Odisha.
• The Navy is deploying ships, manpower, food, clothes among others to limit the damage from the natural disaster.
• A similar cyclone in 1999, only much more destructive, killed over 9,800 people in Odisha.

Fani, a cyclonic storm brewing in the Bay of Bengal, is set to hit India's eastern coast in the state of Odisha. In its latest update, the Indian Meteorological Department just issued a warning saying that the storm has turned 'very severe'.

Fani can even worsen into an "extremely severe cyclone" by tomorrow, prompting the government to put the National Disaster Response Force and the Indian Coast Guard on high alert, a report said citing officials.


Ministry of Home Affairs has ordered to release financial assistance, in advance, of ₹10.8 billion to four states that stand threatened by the natural disaster.

Source: Ministry of Home Affairs

A cyclone is a massive storm caused by low atmospheric pressure. It's a spiraling wind that rotates around a low pressure zone.

Every year, states on India's eastern coast, especially Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, witness similar storms and often, they end up being devastating. A similar cyclone, but much more destructive, with a wind speed of 300 miles per hour had struck Odisha. It was the worst cyclonic disaster ever recorded in the last century that killed over 9,800 people.

The Eastern Naval Command (ENC) is on high alert to render necessary humanitarian assistance, a Navy spokesperson said on Tuesday. Indian Naval ships at Visakhapatnam and Chennai are on stand-by to proceed to the most affected areas to undertake Humanitarian Aid Distress Relief (HADR), evacuation, logistic support including providing medical aid.

These ships are embarked with additional divers, doctors, inflatable rubber boats and relief material that include food, tents, clothes, medicines and blankets.

Naval aircraft are also on stand-by at the Naval Air Stations INS Rajali at Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu and INS Dega at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, to undertake reconnaissance, rescue, casualty evacuation and air drop of relief material to the stranded if required, the spokesperson added.

The ENC is closely monitoring the developments in the Bay of Bengal and Flag Officer Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Naval Area (FOTNA) and Naval Officers-in-Charge (Andhra Pradesh) and (Odisha) are in constant communication with respective state administrations.

With inputs from IANS

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