Cyclone Fani intensifies into severe cyclonic storm: IMD

Cyclone 'Fani' intensified into a 'severe cyclonic storm' Monday evening and is headed towards the Odisha coast, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

It could take a shape of an 'extremely severe cyclone' by Wednesday, prompting the government to put the National Disaster Response Force and the Indian Coast Guard on high alert, officials said.

In its 9 pm bulletin, the Cyclone Warning Division of the IMD said the storm currently lays about 620 km east-northeast of the Trincomalee in Sri Lanka, 770 km east-southeast of Chennai and 900 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam.

"The Cyclonic storm 'Fani' (pronounced as Foni) over Southeast Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood moved north-northwestwards with a speed of about 16 kilometres per hour in last six hours, intensified into a severe cyclonic storm.

"It is very likely to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm during next 24 hours and into an extremely severe cyclonic storm during subsequent 24 hours. It is very likely to ...