New Delhi: Amid a political slugfest over Cyclone Ockhi, Union earth sciences minister Harsh Vardhan on Sunday said the IMD issued its first alert to Kerala about heavy rain on 28 November and a warning about the cyclone a day later.
File image of Union minister Harsh Vardhan. PTI
In a statement, Vardhan said on the afternoon of 29 November, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued the first bulletin of the cyclone warning and it was conveyed to all district officials in Kerala, the state disaster management authority and the chief secretary.
"In the first bulletin, the information was clearly provided on the possibility of further intensification of the system into a cyclonic storm and associated adverse weather.
"In the bulletin, there was a clear message for fishermen not to venture into the sea during the next 48 hours. This bulletin was repeated every three hours including on the night of 29 November and was still continuing," Vardhan said.
Therefore, the IMD bulletin of 29 November gave a "clear warning" of the ensuing adverse weather affecting the Kerala coast.
Adverse weather including heavy rainfall and strong winds started off the Kerala coast only on the morning of 30 November, he said.
As the storm ravaged the state and left a trail of destruction, a blame game started over Cyclone Ockhi, with the Kerala government insisting that it received an IMD weather alert only on 30 November , but Union minister Alphons Kannathananm said it was issued two days earlier.
The cyclone has wrecked havoc in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Lakshadweep, and left hundreds of fishermen stranded at sea.
Published Date: Dec 04, 2017 07:28 am | Updated Date: Dec 04, 2017 07:28 am