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India Met Department (IMD) has declared the formation of cyclone ‘Nada’ over South-West and adjoining South-East Bay of Bengal with this morning's deep depression intensifying rapidly.
The cyclone is forecast to cross the Tamil Nadu coast between Vedaranniyam and Puducherry, close to Cuddalore by early Thursday morning.
No further churn
The Met located the cyclone at 8.30 am this morning to 770 km south-east of Chennai; 730 km east-south-east of Puducherry; 450 km east-southeast of Trincomalee in Sri Lanka.
The cyclone will continue to move in a west-northwest track that takes it towards the Tamil Nadu coast. Although ‘Nada’ will stay over waters almost two days and two nights, the Met did not indicate chances of further intensification.
Nada’ is forecast to reach a peak strength of 75 km/hr to 85 km/hr gusting to 95 km/hr tomorrow and could in fact wind down somewhat in strength before crossing coast, the Met said.
It was only early this morning at 5.30 am that last night’s depression had strengthened into a deep depression. Over the next three hours, it had undergone another round of intensification to become a cyclone.
Rain forecast
Initial forecasts by IMD had not favoured the intensification beyond depression citing the apparently cooler waters in the South-West Bay of Bengal off Tamil Nadu. But this outlook was re-calibrated and upgraded during the last 12 hours or so.
The US Joint Typhoon Warning Centre had estimated that the developing storm might hit a place to the south of Puducherry, probably as a minimal cyclone by tomorrow night. Wind speeds might range between 62 km/hr and 116 km/hr.
Meanwhile, IMD has warned fishermen not to venture into seas of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts, and has asked those already out in the seas to get back home at the earliest.
Squally winds of 45- to 55 km/hr gusting to 65 km/hr are likely to prevail along these coasts and sea conditions will be rough as well.
Heavy rain is likely over isolated places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, Coastal and interior Tamil Nadu, and Kerala on Friday and Saturday.
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