Odisha is on high alert as a cyclonic storm has formed over South Andaman Sea and its neighbouring area.

The Odisha government has asked all the district collectors to stay alert considering the possibility of a cyclone in the state in the next four days.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that a cyclonic circulation has formed over South Andaman Sea and its neighbourhood. Under its influence, a low-pressure area is likely to form over the same region around May 6. It is very likely to move northwestwards and intensify gradually into a depression during subsequent 48 hours.

It has not yet been cleared by the IMD whether the cyclonic circulation would intensify into a severe cyclonic storm and further proceed to the landmass to hit the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh coast.

However, the IMD director general Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra maintained that the environmental conditions are favourable for intensification of the system into a cyclone.

Odisha chief secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra on Wednesday took a review meeting to assess the state’s preparedness to deal with any kind of emergency that’s likely to arise if the cyclonic storm hits the state.

“We are fully prepared to tackle any kind of natural disaster that may take place due to a cyclone. Necessary orders have been issued to all the concerned officials. However it has not yet been confirmed which direction the cyclone will take. Its path will be known within the next three days,” said Mohapatra.

The state government has asked the block development officers to keep the essential items ready.

However, it has urged people not to resort to panic buying. “We urge people not to buy and stock essential items unnecessarily as it will lead to an artificial scarcity in the market and unscrupulous traders will take advantage of the situation to raise the price of essential commodities,” food supplies and consumer welfare minister Ranedra Pratap Swain said.

Rain lashed the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack and many other parts of the state on Tuesday night bringing a respite from the scorching heat.

The temperature that had remained above 43 degrees Celsius in many parts of the state, has come down. There is also a forecast for Nor’wester over the next four days and under its influence, coastal Odisha is likely to experience thunderstorm with rainfall in the next 24 hours, IMD officials said.