Cyclonic storm to intensify across Andhra Pradesh coast in 24 hours; IMD issues heavy rain alert

The fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea and immediately return to the coast.

VIZAG: The cyclonic storm moving towards Andhra Pradesh coast will intensify in the next 24 hours and turn into a severe cyclonic storm in the subsequent 24 hours, said the Indian Meteorological Department. 

Issuing a pre-cyclone watch for Andhra Pradesh, the IMD informed, “Yesterday’s depression over southeast Bay of Bengal (BoB) moved north-northwestwards and intensified into a deep depression in the same midnight.”

The storm is likely to move north-northwestwards and cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Ongole and Kakinada during December 17 afternoon.

“Moving further north-northwestwards, it lay centred at 0830 hrs IST of today, the 14th December, 2018 over southeast BoB near latitude 8.5°N and longitude 87.4°E, about 670 km east of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka), 930 km east-southeast of Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and 1090 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh),” said the IMD.

The weather department has issued a heavy rainfall warning over coastal Andhra Pradesh from December 15 and South Chhattisgarh and Odisha on December 17. 

The fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea and return to the coast.

The warning comes a month after cyclone Gaja hit the two states, claiming 46 lives and causing widespread damage to property and livestock.

Hyma Rao, deputy officer at Visakhapatnam`s Cyclone warning centre, told ANI, "Yesterday`s well-marked low-pressure area over the southeast Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression and centred about 1330 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam. Due to this influence, rain will start from December 15 onwards with a heavy fall at one or two places and strong winds will also start from the same day. Due to these factors, fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea from December 14 onwards."