“The landfall process of the storm has started, centred nearly 50 kilometres (30 miles) south-east of Balasore in Odisha state,” it said. Television images showed knee-deep water flooding the beach area of Digha, a resort town in West Bengal state. The cyclone has dumped more than 6.5 inches of rain in Chandabali and Paradip regions of Odisha state since Tuesday, the meteorological department said. The cyclone coming amid a devastating coronavirus surge complicates India’s efforts to deal with both after another storm, Cyclone Tauktae, hit India’s west coast last week and killed more than 140 people. Odisha’s chief minister, Naveen Patnaik, appealed to people being moved to cyclone shelters to wear double masks and maintain social distancing.

Source: Irish Independent May 26, 2021 05:15 UTC