Cyclonic storm ‘Daye’ crossed near the Gopalpur coast in Odisha early this morning. Under the impact, heavy rain accompanied by high-speed wind occurred in coastal and southern parts of the state.

Bhubaneswar Met office Director HR Biswas said the cyclonic storm Daye over north-west Bay of Bengal moved west-northward with a speed nearly 23 kilometres per hour crossed south Odisha and adjoining Andhra Pradesh coast close to Gopalpur this morning.

The cyclone system lay centred over south Odisha, about 40-kilometre west-north-west of Gopalpur coast and 150-kilometre east-south-east of Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi district. The incessant rains since last evening in this western Odisha district (Kalahandi) have worried farmers and residents as they were faced more than four floods since last month.

Kalahandi is the main catchment of basins of Tel, Bansadhara, Nagavali and Indravati rivers and incessant rains in the district will affect other parts of the State. Besides, the cyclonic storm brought heavy to very heavy rainfall in many places of Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Nayagarh, Koraput, Rayagada, Malkangiri and Nawarangpur districts and affected normal life.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik has reviewed the cyclonic situation and directed officials to ensure zero causality and to keep the adequate amount of relief materials. In view of the heavy rains, several district administrations have cancelled today’s holiday of all the government employees.