IMD gives severe cyclone warning along TN-AP coasts in next three days

India Met Department (IMD) has said that yesterday's well-marked low-pressure area has strengthened into a depression early this morning. It is located over the South-East Bay of Bengal at about 850 km east-south-east of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka); 1,170 km south-east of Chennai (Tamil Nadu); and 1,350 km south-south-east of Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh).

Cyclone tomorrow

It is expected to intensify further into a deep depression by tonight and into a cyclone by tomorrow evening. It would move north-west towards the Andhra Pradesh and adjoining North Tamil Nadu coast during the subsequent three days.

It is during this home stretch that the cyclone is expected to intensify into a severe cyclone, the same category as 'Gaja' that hit the South Tamil Nadu exactly exactly a month ago. Weather watchers are keenly watching the evolution and progress of the would-be cyclone in terms of the amount of rainfall likely to be generated for the deficit North Tamil Nadu region.

Met has said said that rains would lash most places of Coastal Andhra Pradesh and North Coastal Tamil Nadu with heavy to very heavy falls expected at isolated places from Saturday. Heavy to very heavy falls at few places have been forecast over Coastal Andhra Pradesh with extremely heavy falls (20 cm or more) at isolated places on Sunday and isolated heavy falls on Monday.

Landfall over AP coast?

According to an IMD advisory, high wind warning is effective over the central parts of South Bay and adjoining Equatorial Indian Ocean right from today. Squally wind speed reaching up to 55 km/hr and gusting to 65 km/hr today will escalate to gale winds with a speed reaching up to 75 km/hr and gusting to 85 km/hr tomorrow over South-West and adjoining South-East Bay.

From Saturday morning, the coasts of Puducherry, North Tamil Nadu and Coastal Andhra Pradesh would start getting squally weather with a wind speed reaching up to 55 km/hr and gusting to 65 km/hr. This is even as stronger winds with a speed reaching up to 100 km/hr and gusting to 110 km/hr prevail over the farther seas of South-West and adjoining West-Central Bay.

On Sunday, the coasts would get lashed with stronger (relative to Saturday) winds with a speed reaching up to 70 km/hr and gusting to 80 km/hr along and off Coastal Andhra Pradesh and scale up gradually thereafter. The severe cyclone could be making a landfall here, since the wind speed would be calmer at 55 km/hr gusting to 65 km/hr over North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coast around the same time.

‘High’ sea conditions

Meanwhile, wind speeds would be much stronger at up to 110 km/hr and gusting to 120 km/hr over the outer seas, suggesting severe cyclonic strength. The sea condition is very likely to be 'rough' to 'very rough' (wave heights of 13- to 20 ft) over central parts of the South Bay and adjoining Equatorial Indian Ocean for the rest of the day today.

It would be 'high' (wave heights of up to 30 ft) over South-West and adjoining South-East Bay tomorrow. 'High' to 'very high' (30- to 46 ft) conditions would prevail over South-West and adjoining West-Central on Saturday and over West-Central and adjoining South-West Bay on Sunday.

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the central parts of the South Bay and adjoining Equatorial Indian Ocean from today.

The advisory would be valid for the South-West and adjoining South-East Bay tomorrow; for South-West and adjoining West-Central Bay on Saturday; and West-Central and adjoining South-West Bay on Sunday. Fishermen, who are currently out in the deep sea areas, are advised to return to the coast.

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