Cyclone Burevi: Warning cage number 7 hoisted at Pamban port

As the cyclonic storm Burevi is moving over southwest Bay of Bengal, the meteorological centre has advised an upgrade in the port danger signal at both Pamban in Rameswaram and the VOC in Thoothukudi from Wednesday morning.

Both the ports had signal number 3 (local bad weather) till last night. However, from this morning, at Pamban it has been upgraded to danger signal number VII — the cyclone is likely to cross the coast over/near to port — from this morning.

At the VOC port, hoisting of danger signal number VI — cyclone like to cross coast keeping the port to its right — was advised by the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Chennai.

In all the other ports of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, the hoisting of signal number 3 will continue, the RMC said.

A bulletin by the RMC said that the cyclonic storm Burevi over southwest Bay of Bengal moved west-north-westwards lay centered at 0230 hrs today over southwest Bay of Bengal about 300 km east-southeast of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka), 530 km east-southeast of Pamban (India) and 700 km nearly east of Kanyakumari (India). It is very likely to intensify further during the next 6 hours.

Forecast

The cyclone is very likely to move west-north-westwards and cross Sri Lanka coast, close to Trincomalee during evening/night on Wednesday as a cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 75-85 kmph gusting to 95 kmph. It is very likely to move nearly westwards thereafter, emerging into the Gulf of Mannar and adjoining Comorin area on Thursday morning. It would then move nearly west-south-westwards and cross south Tamil Nadu coast between Kanyakumari and Pamban around early morning of December 4, said the bulletin issued by the Area Cyclone Warning Centre of RMC, Chennai.

An official at the VOC port said that there was no sign of any rainy clouds or wind. However, if the conditions worsen the ships will be sent out of the port to the Outer Anchorage for safety.