Cyclone Vardah to hit Andhra Pradesh coast on December 12

Hyderabad: CycloneVardah is set to hit Andhra Pradesh coast near Machilipatnam by 12 December.CycloneVardah is set to hit Andhra Pradesh coast near Machilipatnam by 12 December.

The fishermen have been advised not to go to sea from December 10.

Giving details about Cyclone Vardha, an India Meteorological Department press release said, A depression developed over southeast Bay of Bengal (BOB) in the afternoon of December 6. Moving northwestwards initially and then northwards, it intensified into a deep depression in the midnight of yesterday and into cyclonic storm “VARDAH” on December 8 morning over southeast BOB.

It lay centred at 0830 hrs IST today over southeast Bay of Bengal near Latitude 11.5ºN and Longitude 90.5ºE, about 1040 km east-southeast of Visakhapatnam, 1135 km eastsoutheast of Machilipatnam, 360 km northwest of Car Nicobar and 240 km westsouthwest of Port Blair.

The system is very likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during next 24 hours. It is very likely to move nearly northwards for some more time, then northwestwards and cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Kakinada around forenoon/ noon of December 12.

However, there is possibility of slight weakening of the system before landfall.