Cyclone Jawad likely to weaken, move northwards during next 12 hours: IMD

India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday that cyclone 'Jawad' is likely to gradually ease, moving nearly northward over the next 12 hours.

"It will likely weaken gradually and move almost northward over the next 12 hours and then north-northeast along the coast of Odisha and reach near Puri around December 5 as a deep depression. Then it will likely weaken further and further north." moving northeast along the coast of Odisha towards the coast of West Bengal," IMD said in an official statement.

The National Weather Forecast Agency further said that Jawad has moved slightly northwards over the west-central Bay of Bengal at a speed of 4 km/h for the past six hours.

Jawad was centered at 5:30 a.m. IST today, Dec. 4, 2021, over the west-central Bay of Bengal near 16.2°N and 84.9°E, about 230 km southeast of Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 340 km south from Gopalpur (Odisha), 410 km southwest of Puri (Odisha) and 490 km southwest of Paradip (Odisha),' according to the IMD.

As part of preparations in light of Jawad, the Navy has stepped up rescue and relief operations. The Navy said in an official statement on Friday that 13 emergency response teams (FRT) and four diving teams are on standby to assist in rescue and relief operations. As many as three FRT and two diving teams have been sent to Odisha from Visakhapatnam to increase existing resources.