Second Cyclone in Six Weeks to Hit India's East Coast on Friday

A hundred thousand residents were being evacuated from coastal areas of India's southeastern Andhra Pradesh state as a cyclone swirling in the Bay of Bengal was forecast to make landfall late on Friday with wind speeds up to 120 kph (75 mph).

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - A hundred thousand residents were being evacuated from coastal areas of India's southeastern Andhra Pradesh state as a cyclone swirling in the Bay of Bengal was forecast to make landfall late on Friday with wind speeds up to 120 kph (75 mph).

Cyclone Helen, the second tropical storm to hit the state in six weeks, is likely to cause extensive damage to thatched roofs and huts and disrupt power and communication lines, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday.

Officials were widely praised for a mass evacuation that saved thousands of lives last month when Cyclone Phailin struck, even though at least 43 people were killed and 12 million people affected as homes were destroyed and farmland inundated.

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

State Disaster Management Commissioner C. Parthasarathy said he was working with the same teams deployed for Phailin to move residents to safety before Helen comes hurtling inland.

"We prepared an evacuation plan," said Parthasarathy. "They are on the job."

Phailin, India's fiercest cyclone in 14 years, battered the coastline of northern Andhra Pradesh and Odisha state.

Helen is expected to cause a storm surge of about 1.0-1.5 meters above the tide, potentially inundating low-lying coastal areas and flooding escape routes, the IMD said.

Officials said they were keeping a close eye on the new cyclone as it has changed track from Wednesday, with the latest data showing it was expected to make landfall in Machilipatnam.

Shashidhar Reddy, vice chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, said he has spoken to district officials who had identified about 100,000 residents who are being evacuated.

Disaster teams have been deployed in six districts - Nellore, Prakasam, Krishna, Guntur, East and West Godavari.

(Reporting by Sruthi Gottipati; Editing by Alison Williams)

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American