Cyclone Midhili: Alert sounded as rain lashes several parts of Northeast

Agartala/Imphal/Aizawl, Nov 17 (SocialNews.XYZ) Various northeastern states on Friday sounded an alert following heavy rain accompanied by moderate range cyclone as a deep depression and cyclonic storm "Midhili" (pronounced as "Midhili") over Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm, an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said.

Cyclone 'Midhili' would hit Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, parts of Assam and other parts of northeastern states when it crossed to Bangladesh coast on Friday night or in the early hours of Saturday.

"Cyclone 'Midhili' would cross Bangladesh coast close to Khepupara with a wind speed of 60-70 km per hour gusting to 80 km per hour during Friday night. Under its influence, an increase in rainfall activity accompanied with heavy rainfall at isolated places is very likely to occur over various places in the northeast region on Friday and on Saturday," an IMD said in a statement.

Moderate to heavy rain battered Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, parts of Assam and adjoining areas of northeast on Friday badly affecting normal life.

Electric supply and vehicular traffic also partially disrupted in different northeastern states.

The concerned state governments asked the district administrations and disaster management authorities to take precautionary measures against any eventuality that can be caused due to the cyclone and rain.

The cyclonic storm would be moving past the Sundarbans in Bangladesh before making landfall on the Bangladesh coast with a maximum wind speed of 80 kmph during Friday night or early Saturday morning, the IMD said.

The concerned state disaster management authorities under the close supervision of senior officials are monitoring the situation.

Source: IANS