Daijiworld Media Network - Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam, Nov 15: A cyclone alert has been issued for Andhra Pradesh and the South Odisha coast as a depression over the Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm over the next two days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday.
According to the IMD, the depression over the Southeast and adjoining Southwest Bay of Bengal is moving north-northwestwards and is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm on Monday, November 16, over the central parts of the South and adjoining Westcentral Bay of Bengal. It is further expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm on Tuesday, November 17, over the Westcentral Bay of Bengal.
In its bulletin issued on Sunday afternoon, the IMD stated that the depression moved north-northwestwards at a speed of 15 kmph during the previous six hours and lay centred over the same region at 11.30 am.
The system was located approximately 620 km east-northeast of Trincomalee in Sri Lanka, 680 km west-southwest of Sri Vijayapuram in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 800 km east-southeast of Chennai in Tamil Nadu, 960 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and 1,070 km south-southeast of Gopalpur in Odisha.
The weather system is very likely to continue moving north-northwestwards, intensify into a cyclonic storm over the central parts of the South and adjoining Westcentral Bay of Bengal on Monday, and further strengthen into a severe cyclonic storm on Tuesday.
Thereafter, it is likely to intensify further and move northwestwards towards the Andhra Pradesh coast during the subsequent two days.
The IMD has advised fishermen and coastal communities to closely follow official weather updates and warnings.
Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) said the severe cyclonic storm is likely to approach the North Andhra coastal region.
Under its influence, North Andhra is likely to experience heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds on Thursday and Friday, said Prakhar Jain, Managing Director of the State Disaster Management Authority and Chief Executive Officer of the Real-Time Governance Society (RTGS).
He urged the public and farmers to take necessary precautionary measures in view of the approaching weather system.
This would be the third cyclonic storm to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast within 20 days.
Very severe cyclonic storm 'Arnab' struck the Andhra Pradesh coast near Narsapuram on October 27, while severe cyclonic storm 'Murasu' crossed the coast between Nellore and Narasapur on November 3.
The two cyclones, which struck within a week, claimed 15 lives and caused widespread damage to infrastructure and agricultural crops across the coastal districts.