Chennai, Dec 2 (UNI) The Deep Depression over the bay of bengal will further intensify into a cyclonic storm promising heavy rains in North Tamil Nadu coasts, before crossing Nellore and Machilipatnam coasts in Andhra Pradesh on the forenoon of December five as a Cyclonic storm.
In an update, the IMD on Saturday said the deep depression over Southwest Bay of Bengal moved westnorthwestwards with a speed of 17 kmph during the past six hours.
It now lay centered at over the same region about 440 km east-southeast of Puducherry, 420 km
southeast of Chennai, 540 km southeast of Nellore, 650 km south-southeast of Bapatla and 650 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam.
It is likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a Cyclonic Storm over Southwest Bay of Bengal during next 24 hours.
Thereafter, it would move northwestwards and reach westcentral Bay of Bengal off south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamilnadu coasts by December four forenoon. Then it would move nearly northwards almost parallel and close to south Andhra Pradesh coast and cross South Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Machilipatnam during the forenoon of December 5 as a Cyclonic Storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 80-90 kmph and gusting to 100 kmph.
Under its influence, the met office has forecast heavy rains in North Tamil Nadu coasts, including Chennai and in the adjoining districts of Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu and Kancheepuram, where a holiday has been declared for all educational institutions on Monday, when these districts are slated to experience heavy to very heavy rains.
Bracing up to meet the impending heavy cyclonic rains, the Tamil Nadu government has geared up its machinery to tackle the situation.
Chief Minister M.K.Stalin, who has been periodically monitoring the situation in view of the latest weather developments and the impending cyclonic storm, has directed officials in 12 districts to take all precautionary measures, including evacuating people living in low lying areas to relief camps.
He also directed them that all basic amenities like food, protected drinking water and medical facilities are made available in all the relief camps, besides ordering the authorities to identify and take extra precautionary measures in areas which witnessed water logging in Chennai city, suburbs and other places due to torrential rains on Thursday evening.
The met office has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in North coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry for two days from tomorrow and it would decrease after December four when the weather system started moving towards the South Andhra Pradesh coast.
Rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places is likely on December four (Monday) and decrease thereafter.
It said squally winds will prevail over Southwest Bay of Bengal along and off north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts.
The met office said because of the prevailing weather system, the sea condition is very rough along and off North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts and fishermen were advised not to venture into the sea for the next three days from today and also advised those who had already ventured into the sea to return to the shores immediately.