India Met Department (IMD) has declared an alert for a monsoon depression likely forming over the South Andaman Sea over the next three days.

A preparatory trough has been waiting over the Malay Peninsula beyond India's territorial waters for the past few days. This is expected to move into the Andaman region during the weekend.

The transformation has been delayed mainly because of the drag effect from a tropical storm Cempaka prowling the waters off Indonesia, just to the south of the Malay Peninsula.

Strong winds reaching speeds of up to 50 km/hr have been warned of around Andaman & Nicobar Islands for three days from Thursday in view of the formation of the depression.

Advisory for fishermen

Heavy to very rain would start lashing the islands on these days. Fishermen have been advised caution while venturing out into the sea or told against taking to the waters during these days.

Meanwhile, the IMD also said that an existing trough over South-West Bay of Bengal and adjoining Sri Lanka has intensified back into a low-pressure area.

The easterly winds would push the 'low' into the Gulf of Mannar and adjoining Lakshadweep Sea/South-East Arabian Sea where it too is expected to intensify at least a round.

The slow-moving system would start weakening by Friday/Saturday as the incoming 'low' from Malay Peninsula intensifies into a depression and starts its journey towards the East Coast of India.

The Tamil Nadu-South Coastal Andhra Pradesh could likely be the target of the storm, with most models indicating a location just north of Chennai by December 5.

The other 'low' over the South-East Arabian Sea would have weakened into a circulation off the South Kerala coast and adjoining peninsular tip of India.

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