After Cyclone Gaja, another deep depression brewing over the Bay of Bengal is set to turn into a cyclonic storm in the next 24 hours. Once formed, the Cyclone, unofficially named Phethai, is likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Ongole and Kakinada on December 17, S Balachandran, Regional Meteorological Director told TNM.
“Right now, it is a deep depression 930 kms south east of Chennai and 1090 kms south of Machilipattanam. It is moving northwards,” he said. The depression will turn into a cyclonic storm in the next 24 hours and into a severe cyclonic storm in the subsequent 24 hours. He also added that Chennai can expect to receive rains starting from Saturday.
Although multiple reports are calling the storm brewing in the Bay of Bengal as Cyclone Phethai based on the list of names given by the north Indian Ocean member countries, Balachandran said, “We will give it a name only when it becomes a cyclone. All the names are pre-decided and right now the name for this one is on the list and available on the website. We will use it when the depression turns into a cyclone.”
The 2.30pm bulletin on Friday release by the Meteorological Department warned of heavy rainfall at isolated place in coastal Andhra Pradesh on Saturday. The bulletin also mentioned wind speeds reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 mph to begin on and off AP coast, north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry from the evening of 15 December. By morning of December 17, wind speeds are very likely to increase to 80 – 90 kmph and gusting to 100 kmph on and off Andhra Pradesh coast.
The sea condition is very rough over southeast and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal and likely to get rougher till December 17. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into southwest & adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal on Friday, into southwest and adjoining west central Bay of Bengal on Saturday and westcentral and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal and along and off Andhra Pradesh, north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts on December 16 and 17, as per the bulletin.
Source: The News Minute