A cyclonic storm is likely to hit the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha on the morning of December 4, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday, November 30. It said a low pressure lay over south Thailand and its neighbourhood at 8.30 am. It 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.
Thereafter, it is likely to move northwestwards, intensify further and reach north Andhra Pradesh, Odisha coasts around December 4 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" rainfall at isolated places over adjoining interior districts of Odisha, 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," it said.
As a precaution against the cyclonic storm, IMD Amaravati has warned farmers to reap any harvest-ready crops and to safeguard them immediately. “Due to the heavy to very heavy rainfall and squally winds of speed 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph expected due to cyclonic storm during December 3-5 along and off the coast of north Andhra Pradesh, farmers of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari districts may be requested to harvest the crops ready for harvest and safeguard the same immediately,” the IMD warned.
An orange alert for isolated heavy to very heavy rain is in place for Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts for December 3 and 4. In Visakhapatnam, the IMD has forecast isolated heavy rain on December 3 and isolated heavy to very heavy rain on December 4.