SHE'S a twisting, turning, raging, moving, speeding circle of winds.
She's Laila, severe in her intensity, a cyclonic storm that's lashing Andhra Pradesh and districts along the Tamil Nadu coast from the wee hours of Thursday, after lying low, centred in the Bay of Bengal, for most of Wednesday. Authorities in Andhra Pradesh had by Wednesday evening evacuated thousands of people to safe locations.
Oil rigs and ports were on high alert.
Disaster management teams had been called in. Two oil refineries and India's biggest gas field besides coal ports were also on alert, including the Chennai Petroleum Corp Ltd.
"Sea conditions will be high to phenomenal along and off Andhra Pradesh coast and very rough along and off north Tamil Nadu coast," the weather office said on Wednesday.
Fishermen were advised not to go out to sea. According to reports, cautionary signal No.7 (the highest intensity) has been hoisted in Kalingapattinam, Gangavaram, Kakinada, Visakapattinam, and Machillipattinam ports in Andhra Pradesh and No.3 (medium intensity) at ports in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Scores of boats, an Indian Coastguard vessel and two boats of the Coastal Security Group of Tamil Nadu Police, sustained heavy damage as strong winds lashed the Pamban and Mandapam Coast on Wednesday night and throughout the day.
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