Cyclone Asani: Rain lashes parts of Andhra Pradesh, IMD issues warning

Bhubaneshwar: The coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh have been issued a warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall, in the wake of cyclone Asani, according to a senior IMD official. On Wednesday (May 11) morning, rain lashed parts of the Kakinada district in Andhra Pradesh.

Officials said that cyclone Asani has changed its direction and is going to touch the nearby Kakinada coast. After touching the Kakinada coast, it will come again to sea between Kakinada and Visakhapatnam."Heavy to very heavy rainfall warnings have been issued along the coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh. Telangana's Nalgonda, Suryapet, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Khammam and Mulugu districts are likely to receive light to moderate rainfall," Dr Nagaratna, Head, Meteorological Centre, Hyderabad, told ANI.

The severe cyclonic storm ‘Asani’ over westcentral Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 12 kmph during the past 6 hours, weakened into a cyclonic storm, the India Meteorological Department said. It's very likely to move nearly northwestwards for next few hours and reach Westcentral Bay of Bengal close to Andhra Pradesh coast. Thereafter, it's very likely to recurve slowly north-northeastwards, move along Machilipatnam, Narsapur,Yanam, Kakinada, Tuni and Visakhapatnam coasts, added IMD. Asani is likely to emerge into westcentral Bay of Bengal off North Andhra Pradesh coasts by today evening. "Then it is likely to move northeastwards towards northwest Bay of Bengal. It is likely to weaken gradually into a depression by 12th May morning," the IMD said.

The weather office officials had earlier said that light to moderate rain or thundershowers are likely to occur at a few places of Telangana due to the cyclone Asani. "Telangana is likely to have the impact of the cyclonic storm in adjoining districts. Nalgonda, Suryapet, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Khammam and Mulugu are likely to receive light to moderate rains. At times heavy rains are expected," Nagaratna had said.  The Met department had said that Hyderabad is likely to experience light rains and cloudy conditions would persist. 

As of 8.30 pm on Tuesday (May 10), the cyclone lay centred 170 km south of Kakinada and 290 km south-southwest of Visakhapatnam, packing a wind speed of 95 km per hour, gusting to 105 kmph and moving at a speed of 10 kmph, the weather office said. According to the cyclone track forecast by the weather office, the cyclone was expected to be 29 km south-southeast off the coast of Kakinada by today (Wednesday) morning, 71 km east-northeast of Narsapur and 77 km south-southwest of Tuni in coastal Andhra Pradesh.

By Wednesday noon, the cyclone was predicted to reach 39 km south of Tuni, 39 km east of Kakinada and 109 km southwest of Visakhapatnam, a national bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department said. The weatherman has predicted gale wind speed of up to 85 kmph from Wednesday morning in coastal Andhra Pradesh districts of Krishna, East and West Goadavari, Visakhapatnam and Yanam of Puducherry UT.

"Storm surge of height about 0.5 m above astronomical tide is likely to inundate low lying areas of Krishna, East & West Godavari, and Vishakhapatnam districts of Andhra Pradesh, and Yanam of Puducherry UT," the IMD weather bulletin said.