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Army, Navy, Coast Guard alerted; 20 more NDRF teams sought

The Andhra Pradesh administration is on high alert as `Lehar’ entered the Bay of Bengal started its movement towards the State’s coastline as a very severe cyclonic storm.

Trees were uprooted disrupting traffic, communication and electricity towers were damaged as strong gales with speed reaching 100-110 kmph caused havoc in the coastal districts

Heavy loss feared in Krishna, Guntur and West Godavari districts

Heavy to very heavy rain may lash three coastal districts – Guntur, Krishna and West Godavari – as tropical cyclonic storm, Helen, intensified into a severe cyclone on Thursday.

The cyclone is likely to hit southern Andhra coast close to Machilipatnam in Krishna District this afternoon

Andhra Pradesh administration is fully geared up to face the severe cyclonic storm Helen over west- central Bay of Bengal which is likely to hit southern Andhra coast close to Machilipatnam in Krishna District this afternoon.

Yesterday’s cyclonic storm ‘HELEN’ over west central Bay of Bengal intensified into a severe cyclonic storm in the early morning of today, the 21st November 2013 and lay centred at 0830 hrs IST of today near latitude 15.80N and longitude 83.40E about 240 km east-southeast of Machillipatnam, 350 km east-northeast of Ongole and 210 km south-southeast of Vishakhapatnam. It would move northwestwards slowly for some time, then westward and cross Andhra Pradesh coast near Machillipatnam around afternoon/evening of 22nd November 2013.

A 40-member NDRF team deployed to carry out rescue and relief operations

Krishna district authorities alerted the people in the cyclone-prone 12 mandals where evacuation measures have already been put in place in the wake of the likely landfall of Cyclone Helen on Thursday near Kavali in Nellore district.

Current warnings are in effect for fishermen along the coasts of Andhra Pradesh, who are advised to return to shore

Researchers have warned that tropical Cyclone 04B renamed as "Helen" has strengthened and is slowly nearing landfall in southeastern India.
On November 20 at 1200 UTC/7 a.m. EST, Tropical Cyclone Helen had maximum sustained winds near 50 knots per 57.5 mph per 92.6 kph. It was centered near 15.5 north and 83.9 east, about 499 nautical miles per 574.2 miles per 924.1 km south-southwest of Calcutta, India.