Depression to intensify into cyclone, cross Andhra coast on Monday
Bhubaneswar (PTI): The depression over the Bay of Bengal on Saturday intensified into a deep depression and is likely to become a cyclone before crossing the Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Machilipatnam on Monday, IMD said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted heavy rainfall in Odisha on Monday and Tuesday under the influence of the system.
The depression moved west-northwestwards at a speed of 18 kmph and intensified into a deep depression. It lay centred around 500 km east-southeast of Puducherry, 510 km east-southeast of Chennai, 630 km southeast of Nellore and 710 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam at 5.30 am, the IMD said in its morning bulletin.
The IMD said the system is likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm over southwest Bay of Bengal in the next 24 hours.
Thereafter, it would move northwestwards and reach westcentral Bay of Bengal off the south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coasts by December 4.
"Thereafter, it would move nearly northwards almost parallel and close to the south Andhra Pradesh coast and cross it between Nellore and Machilipatnam on December 5 as a cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 80-90 kmph, gusting to 100 kmph," the IMD said.
If the system intensifies into a cyclone, it will be called 'Michaung', a name suggested by Myanmar.
Under its influence, Odisha is likely to receive very heavy rain on December 4 and 5, the IMD said, while issuing yellow (be updated) and orange (be prepared) warnings.
The national weather agency has predicted that squally weather conditions, with wind speeds reaching 35-45 kmph, are likely in the coastal districts of Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri and Jagatsinghpur on December 5.
Meanwhile, the state special relief commissioner has put seven coastal districts -- Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda and Ganjam -- on alert in view of the possible cyclone brewing in the Bay of Bengal.
The IMD said sea conditions will be very rough and advised fishermen not to venture into the deep sea till further notice.
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Passenger luggage beyond permissible limit to attract fine: Western Railway
Mumbai (PTI): Days after a stampede at the Bandra Terminus here, the Western Railway has said a penalty will be imposed if the luggage of passengers exceeds the permissible limit for their respective travel class and urged people not to overcrowd stations.
Each passenger is permitted to carry a certain amount of luggage without charge, but items such as scooters and bicycles, as well as consignments exceeding dimensions of 100 cm x 100 cm x 70 cm do not qualify for the free allowance, the WR said in a release on Tuesday.
"Western Railway urges all passengers to avoid overcrowding at stations and to enter premises only as necessary, in accordance with train schedules, while adhering to the established luggage limits," the release stated.
The step has taken to reduce congestion on platforms and facilitate smoother movement for passengers within the station premises, it said.
The Western Railway has appealed to all passengers to follow the rules pertaining to carrying the maximum limit of free luggage.
"The free allowance varies for different classes of travel. If the luggage exceeds the marginal free allowance, a penalty will be charged accordingly," the release said, adding the directive comes into effect immediately and will remain in force till November 8.
A significant rise has been witnessed in parcel bookings during the festive season, particularly at the parcel offices of the Bandra Terminus, Vapi, Valsad, Udhna and Surat, it said.
The WR noted that the volume of parcels kept stacked on platforms for loading in trains causes inconvenience in passenger movement.
Considering the safety and security of passengers, instructions have been issued not to stack the parcel consignments on platforms for a long duration before the scheduled departure of a train, the release said.
On Sunday, 10 persons were injured in a stampede during heavy rush to board the Gorakhpur-bound Antyodaya Express train at the Bandra Terminus in Mumbai.
The Western Railway has already implemented temporary restrictions on the sale of platform tickets at select major stations, effective till November 8.
