Another Cyclonic Storm Threatens Andhra Pradesh Coast; Severe Weather Expected on November 3
The Bay of Bengal is witnessing the development of another potential cyclonic storm, raising concerns along India’s eastern coastline. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm and make landfall along the south Andhra Pradesh coast on the morning of November 3.
The approaching weather system is expected to bring strong winds with speeds of 100-110 kmph, while gusts could reach up to 120 kmph, IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said.
The latest development comes just days after severe cyclonic storm Arnab struck Andhra Pradesh and Odisha on October 28, bringing another potential spell of severe weather to the region.
In its bulletin issued at 9:15 pm on Saturday, the IMD reported that the depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Andaman Sea had moved west-northwestwards at a speed of around 30 kmph during the preceding six hours.
At 5:30 pm, the system was located approximately 960 km east-southeast of Chennai, 980 km southeast of Visakhapatnam, 1,030 km southeast of Machilipatnam and 1,080 km east-southeast of Ongole.
According to the IMD’s forecast, the system is likely to intensify into a deep depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal by Saturday midnight. It is then expected to develop into a cyclonic storm on November 1 and further strengthen into a severe cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal on November 2.
The weather agency said the system would likely move towards the west-central Bay of Bengal, reaching waters near the south Andhra Pradesh coast by the early hours of November 3.
It is then expected to cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur by the morning of November 3 as a severe cyclonic storm, accompanied by winds of 100-110 kmph and gusts reaching 120 kmph.
A depression is a weather system that is stronger than a low-pressure area but weaker than a cyclonic storm.
Meanwhile, Manorama Mohanty, Director of the Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar, said the weather department was closely monitoring the developing system.
The IMD has also predicted light to moderate rainfall or thundershowers in a few districts of Odisha.
With the system expected to intensify over the coming days, coastal regions of Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring areas are being closely monitored for possible weather-related impacts.
