The Met department has issued heavy rainfall warning for four districts of Odisha in the wake of Cyclone Remal approaching the coast.

Under its impact, heavy rainfall of 7 to 11 cm has been predicted for Bhadrak, Balasore, Kendrapara and Mayurbhanj districts.

Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Satyabrata Sahu reviewed the preparations made by the collectors of the four districts in view of the warning, officials said.

Around 20,000 fishing boats were safely berthed and collectors of the four districts were instructed to use Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and fire services in case a situation arises, they said.

Sahu said that rainfall has already started in the coastal districts of Odisha since this morning and will intensify, with the cyclone making landfall by midnight.

In view of the cyclone, the IMD has hoisted local cautionary signal number 3 at Paradip and Chandbali ports and distant warning signal number 2 (DW-II) for Gopalpur and Puri ports.

According to the Met department, Cyclone Remal has strengthened into a severe cyclonic storm and is expected to hit the coasts of Bangladesh and West Bengal by Sunday midnight, with winds of 110-120 kmph and gusting up to 135 kmph.

Remal, moving northward, is likely to intensify further before crossing the coasts between Sagar Island (West Bengal) and Khepupara (Bangladesh), near the southwest of Mongla port, around midnight on Sunday, the weather office reported.

According to an IMD bulletin, surface wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph would prevail at a few places over the districts of Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Puri, Khurda, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, and Jagatsinghpur till 8.30 am on Monday.

Squally wind speed reaching 50-60 kmph, gusting up to 70 kmph, is likely to prevail till Monday morning, it said.

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