Chennai, Oct 24:
The Low Pressure area over the Bay, the second in succession, has become Well Marked on Saturday morning and it was expected to further intensify in to a Depression and concentrate into a Cyclonic Storm on the morning of October 26.
With back to back systems persisting and the Northeast monsoon becoming vigorous, several parts of Tamil Nadu, especially the southern districts and Northern districts like Cuddalore were experiencing heavy rains. The showers were quite heavy in Western Ghat region and southern coastal districts.
Landslips were reported in several areas on the roads leading to the tourist spots of Kodaikanal and Udhagamandalam, causing traffic snarls as people thronged these destinations due to weekend holidays.
The Dindigul and the Nilgiris district administrations have advised the tourists to avoid visiting Kodaikanal and Ooty respectively till October 26 in view of consistent rains and the landslips in several locations on the Ghat road leading to the hilly tourist destinations.
Similar landslips were also reported on the Mettupalayam-Ooty road and several students from Kerala who had come to Ooty, were stranded on the landslip areas and were rescued safely by the fire services department today.
Meanwhile, though the Met office has forecast heavy to very heavy rains in majority of the districts, Chennai city and suburbs did not expect any showers, barring occasional spells last night in some locations.
However, the spell was likely to gather more steam once the Low Pressure area became more intensified.
In an update, Met office said yesterdayās Low Pressure Area over Eastcentral and adjoining Southeast Bay of Bengal became a Well Marked Low Pressure Area and lay over Eastcentral Bay of Bengal at 0530 hours of today.
It is most likely to persist over the same region and intensify into a Depression later today. Thereafter, it is very likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify further into a Deep Depression tomorrow andĀ into a Cyclonic Storm, to be named ‘Arnab suggested by Bangladesh, over the Westcentral Bay of Bengal by Monday morning.
Moving west-northwestwards, it would continue to intensify further and reach over Westcentral Bay of Bengal near Andhra Pradesh coast around morning of October 28.