Chennai to get more rains as depression intensifies into cyclone

Chennai: The depression over the Bay of Bengal on Saturday intensified into a deep depression and is likely to become a cyclone before crossing the Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Machilipatnam on Monday, IMD said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted heavy rainfall in Odisha on Monday and Tuesday under the influence of the system. The depression moved west-northwestwards at a speed of 18 kmph and intensified into a deep depression.

It lay centred around 500 km east-southeast of Puducherry, 510 km east-southeast of Chennai, 630 km southeast of Nellore and 710 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam at 5.30 am, the IMD said in its morning bulletin.

The IMD said the system is likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm over southwest Bay of Bengal in the next 24 hours.

Thereafter, it would move northwestwards and reach westcentral Bay of Bengal off the south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coasts by December 4.

“Thereafter, it would move nearly northwards almost parallel and close to the south Andhra Pradesh coast and cross it between Nellore and Machilipatnam on December 5 as a cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 80-90 kmph, gusting to 100 kmph,” the IMD said.

If the system intensifies into a cyclone, it will be called ‘Michaung’, a name suggested by Myanmar. Under its influence, Odisha is likely to receive very heavy rain on December 4 and 5, the IMD said, while issuing yellow (be updated) and orange (be prepared) warnings. The national weather agency has predicted that squally weather conditions, with wind speeds reaching 35-45 kmph, are likely in the coastal districts of Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri and Jagatsinghpur on December 5.

Meanwhile, the Chennai Meteorological Centre has predicted moderate thunderstorms, lightning and rainfall in 12 districts of Tamil Nadu for Saturday.

The regional weather department also forecast light rain in another 11 districts of the state.

“Moderate thunderstorms and lightning with moderate rain are very likely at isolated places over Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, Thiruvarur, Ramanathapuram, Thiruppur, Dindigul, Tenkasi, Virudhunagar, Thoothukudi, Thirunelveli Kanyakumari and Karaikal districts of Tamil Nadu,” the weather department said in a bulletin late on Friday night.

“Light rain is likely at isolated places over Thiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Chennai, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Sivagangai, Nilgiris, Theni and Puducherry in the next three hours,” it added.

The weather department also issued an advisory and mentioned the impacts of the weather forecast.

The advisory included the impact of waterlogging, slippery roads, traffic and minor damage to loose and unsecured structures in some areas.

Meanwhile, amid the looming fear of a cyclone over Tamil Nadu, the Indian Meteorological Department on Friday warned that the sea will be rougher than usual in the coastal areas.

The sea has gone 100 metres backwards, where the shore’s breadth has increased at Velankanni Beach in Nagapattinam district due to the cyclone effect. The northeast monsoon is intensifying and heavy rain is taking place in various districts of Tamil Nadu.

Authorities have hoisted ‘cyclone warning cage-No-1’ in five ports, including Nagapattinam port. With the India Meteorological Department’s prediction of a cyclonic storm in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday instructed all concerned officials to take precautionary measures, including evacuating people from the places likely to be hit by the cyclone.