Heavy rain is expected to lash coastal Andhra Pradesh over the next two days as the Indian Meteorological Centre (IMD) has issued an alert.
"Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places in the districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari and West Godavari. Thunderstorm associated with lightning is likely to occur at isolated places over coastal Andhra Pradesh," the IMD alert for Tuesday stated.
The weather agency said that thunderstorm with lightning was likely to occur at isolated places over coastal Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday as well.
Thunderstorms are also expected over the state's Rayalaseema region - comprising the districts of Kurnool, Kadapa, Chittoor and Anantapur - on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the IMD.
The IMD attributed the rain warning to the formation of Cumulonimbus clouds, as a result of an upper air cyclonic circulation over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and its neighbourhood.
A weather warning was also issued for fishermen off the Andhra coast for a period of 24 hours, by the Cyclone Warning Centre (CWC) in Visakhapatnam, commencing from 6 am on Tuesday.
Experts attributed the rain to the delayed withdrawal of the southwest monsoon.
“Conditions are also becoming favourable for the withdrawal of monsoon from South India in the next two days,” an official was quoted as saying.
The IMD has also issued a two-day alert for neighbouring Telangana.
"Heavy rain very likely at isolated places over Telangana along with thunderstorm associated with lightning," the IMD alert, in place till 8 am on October 18, stated.
During September, Andhra Pradesh received 229.1 mm rainfall against a normal of 152.5, an excess of 50 percent. Earlier this month, the IMD said that the rainfall was excess in East Godavari and Guntur districts while it was normal in the remaining eight districts.