Cyclone alert! After 'Nivar', Tamil Nadu and Kerala bracing for another storm? Check IMD's warning

Nearly a week after Cyclone Nivar wreaked havoc, the IMD said that another storm is likely to affect two southern states.

Less than a week after Cyclone Nivar battered southern India, another storm is expected to affect the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday.

Last week, "very severe cyclonic storm" Nivar had hit Tamil Nadu. While there were no reports of loss of life, about 2.5 lakh people were housed in cyclone shelters in the state as part of safety measures.

The second cyclone will cross the Sri Lanka coast on December 2 and will bring heavy rain over Tamil Nadu and Kerala, it said. On Monday, the depression over Southeast Bay of Bengal lay about 680 km east-southeast of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka) and 1090 km east of Kanniyakumari (India).

It is very likely to intensify further into a deep depression during the next 12 hours and into a Cyclonic Storm during subsequent 24 hours. It is very likely to move west-northwestwards and cross Sri Lanka coast during evening/night of December 2. It is very likely to move nearly westwards thereafter and emerge into the Comorin area on December 3 morning.

Under the influence of the above system heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places with isolated extremely heavy falls very likely over south Tamilnadu (Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi, Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga) on December 2-3; south Kerala (Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha) on December 3 and isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall likely over south Tamil Nadu on December 1 and 4 and south Kerala on December 2 and 4.

Heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places very likely over north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Karaikal and north Kerala and Mahe during December 2-3 and isolated heavy rainfall on December 1 and 4. Heavy rainfall at isolated places very likely over south coastal Andhra Pradesh during 2nd & 03rd December and over Lakshadweep during December 3-4.

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into southeast Bay of Bengal from till December 1, southwest Bay of Bengal and along & off
east Sri Lanka coast from December 1-3; Comorin Area, Gulf of Mannar and south Tamilnadu-Kerala coasts from December 2-4, over Lakshadweep-Maldives area & adjoining southeast the Arabian Sea from December 3-4. Total suspension of fishing operation during till December 4 over the areas. Fishermen out at sea are advised to return to the coast by Monday.

The IMD has issued a red-colour coded warning for the southern areas of Tamil Nadu Kerala in view of the brewing storm and said that these areas are expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall. As the sea is expected to become rough due to the weather system, fishermen are advised not to venture into the southeast and adjoining the southwest Bay of Bengal from the night of December 1 and along and off east Sri Lanka coast, Comorin area, Gulf of Mannar and Tamil Nadu-Kerala coasts from forenoon of December 2 for the subsequent 24 hours.

The IMD said squally weather with wind speed would gradually increase becoming 55-65 kilometres per hour gusting to 75 kmph over the southeast and adjoining the southwest Bay of Bengal from the night of December 1 and 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph over southwest Bay of Bengal, along with and off Sri Lanka coast.

Winds with a speed of 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph are likely over the Comorin area, Gulf of Mannar and Tamil Nadu-Kerala coasts from December 2 forenoon for subsequent 24 hours.