Hyderabad: A deep depression expected to turn into "a very severe cyclonic storm" over Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, crossed the North Andaman island on Wednesday and lay centred over the east central Bay of Bengal, 950km southeast of Paradip, the latest IMD bulletin said.

The deep depression with a wind speed is 78km per hour hit the Andaman Islands near uninhabited Landfall island at around 5pm causing very heavy rainfall, a report from Port Blair said.

Andhra Pradesh government put all its departments on high alert in view of the cyclone threat along north-coastal Andhra and Odisha even as chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy appealed to striking government employees in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions to return to work to meet any emergency.

It would intensify into a cyclonic storm in next 12 hours and cross north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coast between Kalingapatnam and Paradip by October 12 night as "a very severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 175-185kmph," the bulletin said.

"The storm is likely to cross north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha between Kalingapatanam and Paradip by the night of the October 12. We are expecting the wind speed to be around 175-185kmph. These areas will also experience very heavy rainfall," said a senior scientist at the Met department.

"We have sent an advisory to fishermen not to venture into Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal. Fishermen out at sea along north Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal have been advised to return to coast," the official added.

The Odisha government also issued a high alert and cancelled the Dusshera holidays of employees in 14 districts with chief minister Naveen Patnaik asking collectors to ensure the safety of the people.

The alert was issued to Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam and Gajapati districts.

It was decided to deploy Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams in the 14 districts from October 10, Revenue minister Surya Narayan Patro said and directed that a mock drill by ODRAF and fire personnel be held.

Cyclone hits Andaman Nicobar islands

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Cyclone hits Andaman Nicobar islands, Andhra Pradesh on high alert