Low Pressure Over Bay Of Bengal, Red Alert for Cyclone Fani In Tamil Nadu

Chennai: A low pressure area over Indian ocean and adjoining Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a depression to form Cyclone Fani which could cross the north Tamil Nadu coast on April 30. before reaching the north Tamil Nadu coast on April 30, the India Meteorological Department said Thursday.

The IMD forecast light to moderate rainfall at many places in coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala on Sunday (April 28) and said rain was likely at isolated places in South coastal Andhra Pradesh.

However, it forecast "rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at a few places with extremely heavy at isolated places," in coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on April 30 and May 1. The low pressure area over east Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal lies as a well marked low pressure area over the same region, it said.

"It is very likely to intensify into a depression and that Cyclone Fani would intensify during the next 24 hours over east Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining central parts of south Bay of Bengal ", the IMD said.

It said on Friday, squally wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph was likely over Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal."Squally weather very likely over south Andaman Sea. Fishermen are advised not to venture into these areas," it added.

Wind speed would touch 90-100 kmph gusting to 115 kmph along and off north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh districts coasts from the afternoon of April 30, it added.

The sea condition was likely to be rough over east Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining central parts of south Bay of Bengal on Friday, rough to very rough on Saturday and very rough to high over southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Equatorial Indian Ocean and along and off Sri Lanka on Sunday, it said.

Sea condition will be high to very high over Southwest Bay of Bengal, along and off Sri Lanka, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts on April 29 and 30. IMD also issued a warning to fishermen, asking them not to venture into these areas till April 30. Kuzhithurai (Kanyakumari) and Uttamapalayam (Theni) recorded 3cm rainfall, as per the 8.30 AM figures on Thursday.