Kolkata/Bhubaneswar: Tens of thousands of people in coastal areas of West Bengal and Orissa were pulled back today to as a powerful cyclone packed with wind speed up to 280 kms per hour today crossed half of Orissa's vulnerable areas without causing any damage and headed towards the adjacent state.

The army and the air force were asked to remain on stand by as the cyclone is expected to trigger six to seven metre high tidal waves.

Cyclone Sidr, bringing in its wake torrential rains, crossed half of Orissa's coastline covering four of the six districts that were put on high alert without causing any damage even as the state government evacuated over 30,000 people to safety, officials said.

"The system has already gone beyond districts of Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur and Puri by 5 pm today," said Orissa's Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) N K Sundaray.

The cyclone passed without causing any damage in the state's coastline, he said.

More than 30,000 people were evacuated from seaside villages and provided shelter in cyclone centres, schools and colleges and other buildings, the Cyclone Warning Centre said adding squally winds and rains swept coastal districts of south Orissa and adjoining districts of north Orissa.

Taking no chances, Orissa government ordered closure of all schools in 14 districts for two days from tomorrow, apprehending severe impact of the cyclone.

The cyclone is expected to hit West Bengal at midnight tonight and emergency measures were advised to be taken in Howrah, Hooghly, North and South 24 Paraganas and East Midnapore districts as also Kolkata.

Orissa govt withdraws cyclone warning

Bhubaneswar: As the severe cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal crossed Orissa coast without causing any damage, the state government tonight withdrew the warning issued by it earlier to 14 coastal districts to remain alert. The storm christened "Sidr" went beyond Orissa coast around 2100,official sources here.

The Cyclonic Warning Centre (CWC) here said tonight that the system now lay centred close to the West Bengal coast and Bangladesh and would hit the Bangladesh coast near Khepupara.

The system was likely to move in a north-north-easterly direction, the CWC said. With the cyclonic storm crossing its coastline without any adverse impact, the state government withdrew the warning it had issued to the district administration in the coastal belt, the sources told PTI.

Orissa government had evacuated over 30,000 people from six coastal districts and announced closure of all the schools in 14 district for two day from November 16 in order to provide shelter to the people.

Source : PTI