(Image source from: NDTV.com)

A warning has been issued in north-coastal Andhra Pradesh and parts of Odisha, as cyclone Titli triggers heavy rainfall.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the severe storm is being monitored by coastal Doppler weather radars in the regions of Visakhapatnam, Gopalpur, and Paradip.

According to officials, it is very likely that the storm will be moving northwest in the following 12 hours, and then curve northeast towards Gangetic West Bengal and across Odisha.

The storm is as well expected to weaken bit by bit, before it becomes a depression by morning on October 12.

Officials in Andhra Pradesh are keeping a close tab on the storm reports, and have already begun rescue and relief operations.

Two people have reportedly died as a result of the storms in Srikakulam’s Sarubujjili mandal. One man allegedly died after his house collapsed in the rains while another woman died after a tree fell on her.

Authorities are expecting to see severe damage in the districts of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, and Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh. Fishermen have been warned not to go out into the sea and to suspend all fishing operations until further notice.

Several of these areas have already seen the wide spread damage of electric poles and telecommunications due to rampant rains and wind in the region.

Earlier, on Wednesday, the Centre had deployed 21 teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal in view of the impending storm.

In an aspect of the storm warnings, several trains in the state have been canceled while some have been diverted.

Srikakulam District Collector Dhanunjaya Reddy is supervising the rescue operations and cooperating with police and revenue authorities for the same.

-Sowmya Sangam