India Meteorological Department (IMD) has upgraded the tropical threat to Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts from a cyclone to severe cyclone, with a causative depression developing traction over the South-West and adjoining South-East Bay of Bengal and forecast to attain cyclone status on Tuesday.
A favourable environment currently envelops the depression with good ‘window effect’ over the top (helps the system breathe in and out), low vertical wind shear (keeps the storm tower intact), and warm sea-surface temperatures (29-30 deg Celsius along the Tamil Nadu coast) which ensure the fuel for the storm engine, helping the system to strengthen.
Also read:
Intensification on course
The IMD located the system to 550 km East-South-East of Puducherry and 590 km South-East of Chennai. It expects the system to intensify twice over into a cyclone by tomorrow (Tuesday). The prospective cyclone may cross Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mamallapuram on Wednesday as a severe cyclone with wind speeds of 100-110 km/hr gusting to 120 km/hr.
Also read: Pre-cyclone watch for TN-Puducherry coast
The IMD warned that the severe cyclone may inflict damage to thatched houses/ huts with the possibility of rooftops being blown off and unattached metal sheets flying away. Damage to power and communication lines could be expected. Kutcha roads may suffer major damaged while it would be less severe to pucca roads.
Escape routes could get flooded after breaking down of tree branches and large avenue trees getting uprooted. The severe cyclone can also cause major damage to banana and papaya trees, horticulture and crops, orchards and coastal crops.
Total suspension of fishing
Embankments/salt pans may also report severe damage. Given the circumstances, the IMD has advised total suspension of fishing operations. Coastal hutment dwellers would have to be moved to safer places. People in affected areas have to remain indoors, and movement in motorboats would be unsafe.
The IMD said that fairly widespread to widespread rainfall/thunderstorm activity Tamil Nadu and Puducherry from Tuesday to Thursday, and over South Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema on Wednesday and Thursday.
Isolated heavy rainfall
Isolated extremely heavy rainfall is predicted over Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Karaikal, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, Ariyalur and Perambalur districts on Tuesday; and over Cuddalore, Kallakkurichi, Puducherry, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, Chengalpattu to Ariyalur, Perambalur and Karaikal districts on Wednesday. Over South Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema, a similar outlook is valid for Nellore and Chittoor districts on Wednesday and Thursday and over Telangana on Thursday.
Wind speeds are expected to increase gradually becoming 65-75 km/hr gusting to 85 km/hr over the South-West and adjoining West-Central Bay of Bengal, and 55-65 km/hr gusting to 75 km/hr along and off the Tamil Nadu and adjoining South Andhra Pradesh coast and over the Gulf of Mannar from Tuesday morning.
High winds warned
The wind speeds would further increase becoming 100-110 km/hr gusting to 120 km/hr over the South-West Bay and along and off the coastal districts of Nagapattinam, Karaikal, Myladuthurai, Cuddalore, Puducherry, Villupuram and Chengalpattu districts); 65-75 km/hr gusting to 85 km/hr over the adjoining West-Central Bay along and off the Nellore and Prakasham districts in South Coastal Andhra Pradesh; and over the Gulf of Mannar and along and off the south coastal districts of Tamil Nadu from Wednesday morning till evening.
The sea condition was ‘rough to very rough’ (wave heights of 8-20 ft) over South-West and adjoining West-Central and South-East Bay along and off Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh coasts and over the Gulf of Mannar on Monday afternoon.
Very rough sea condition
It would gradually become ‘high’ (20-30 ft) over the South-West and adjoining West-Central Bay and along and off the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coast; ‘very rough’ (13-20 ft) along and off the South Andhra Pradesh coast and over the Gulf of Mannar on Wednesday.
The sea condition would be ‘very high’ (30-46 ft) over the South-West and adjoining West-Central Bay and along and off the North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts; and ‘high’ along and off the South Tamil Nadu and South Andhra Pradesh coasts and also over the Gulf of Mannar on Wednesday.
Fishermen are advised not to venture into South-West and adjoining West-Central and South-East Bay; the Gulf of Mannar, and along and off the Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh coasts from Monday to Wednesday. Those out into the sea already are advised to return to the coast and avoid the above sea areas.