Cyclonic storm likely to hit Odisha, Andhra coasts on Saturday morning: IMD

Bhubaneswar: A cyclonic storm is likely to hit the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha on Saturday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday.

It said a low-pressure area lies over south Thailand and its neighborhood at 8.30 am, which is likely to emerge into the Andaman Sea during the next 12 hours.

”Thereafter, it is likely to move west-northwestwards and concentrate into a depression over southeast and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal by December 2 and intensify into a cyclonic storm over the central parts of the Bay of Bengal during the subsequent 24 hours,” an IMD statement said. It is then likely to move northwestwards, intensify further and reach north Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coasts around Saturday morning.

The Met office predicted ”heavy to very heavy rainfall and extremely heavy rainfall” at isolated places over coastal Odisha and ”heavy to very heavy” rain at isolated places over adjoining interior districts of the state, coastal districts of West Bengal, and north coastal Andhra Pradesh.

”It is likely that the northeastern states also experience enhanced rainfall activity on December 5-6, with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall owing to the likely northeastward movement of the remnant of the system during the same period,” the IMD said.

Elaborating on the system’s movement in Odisha and its impact, IMD DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said, “Though it will be near the Odisha and north Andhra Pradesh coast on December 4 morning, it will not make landfall immediately. The system will gradually move in a north-northeast direction.”

A clear picture of the rainfall activity, wind speed, and landfall will be available only after the Lopar (low-pressure area) turns into a depression, he said.

The DG said IMD has issued warnings for Friday-Sunday, and fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea after Thursday.

He said winds with 40-50 kmph speed are likely to prevail along the Odisha coast from Friday, and the velocity will increase gradually. During the cyclonic storm, it is likely to be within 60-90 kmph.