The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday issued a warning of a cyclonic storm which is likely to intensify and move towards Andhra Pradesh coast during the next 72 hours.
The storm is currently a depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal and is likely to intensify further into a deep depression during the next 12 hours and into a cyclonic storm during the subsequent 24 hours.
Heavy rainfall is expected to take place at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places likely to commence over coastal Andhra Pradesh and north coastal Tamil Nadu on December 15.
The warning comes a month after cyclone Gaja hit the two states, claiming 46 lives and causing widespread damage to property and livestock.
Rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at a few places and extremely heavy falls at isolated places are likely over coastal Andhra Pradesh on December 16 and isolated heavy falls on December 17.
The sea condition is very likely to be rough to very rough over central parts of south Bay of Bengal and high over southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal on December 14. The sea condition is very likely to be high to very high over southwest and adjoining west central Bay of Bengal on December 15 and over west central and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal on December 16.
The fishermen have been advised not to venture out and those who are already out in the deep sea areas have been advised to return to the coast.
Hyma Rao, deputy officer at Visakhapatnam`s Cyclone warning centre, told ANI, “Yesterday`s well-marked low-pressure area over the southeast Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression and centred about 1330 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam. Due to this influence, rain will start from December 15 onwards with a heavy fall at one or two places and strong winds will also start from the same day. Due to these factors, fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea from December 14 onwards,” he added.
The Central Government earlier in the day had issued a pre-cyclone watch for Andhra Pradesh. “It (cyclone) is very likely to intensify further into a deep depression during next 12 hours and into a cyclonic storm during the subsequent 24 hours. It is very likely to move northwestwards towards Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coast during next 72 hours,” said a statement from the Central Government.
“Latest satellite imageries and surface observations indicate that a depression has formed over the southeast Bay of Bengal and lay centred at 0530 hrs IST of today, 13th December, 2018 near latitude 6.5°N and longitude 88.7°E, about 850 km east-southeast of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka), 1170 km southeast of Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and 1350 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh),” it added.
Source: Zee News