Cyclone May Cross Nellore on December 5

Visakhapatnam: The severe cyclonic storm might cross near Nellore on December 4 evening or the following morning, a report by IMD Amaravati stated on Thursday.

The storm, to be named as Muchuang, is likely to cause heavy to very heavy rains over Tamil Naidu and coastal Andhra Pradesh, a private weather tracking agency said.

 Scientist at IMD, S. Karunasagar, said the system is likely to be formed over southwest Bay of Bengal on December 3 and might cross the coast between Nellore or north Tamil Nadu coast. An orange alert has been sounded for Rayalaseema and south coastal Andhra Pradesh, which are likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall from December 3 to December 5.

Earlier, he said the well-marked low pressure area over southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining south Andaman Sea moved west-northwestwards and lay over southeast Bay of Bengal on Thursday. "It is likely to move west northwestwards and intensify into a depression over southeast Bay of Bengal during the next 24 hours. Continuing to move further west northwestward, it would intensify gradually into a cyclonic storm over southwest Bay of Bengal around December



3."

"Thereafter, it would move northwestwards and reach the north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coasts around the early morning of December 4 as a cyclonic storm."

The cyclonic circulation over north Sri Lanka and its neighbourhood now lay over southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining south Sri Lanka and extends up to 5.8 km above mean sea level.

The storm is likely to cause heavy to very heavy rains over Tamil Nadu and coastal Andhra Pradesh, said private weather website Skymet. "It is likely to become a severe storm while over sea. Gale speed winds would accompany torrential rains."

"The sea conditions off Tamil Nadu and Andhra coast would be extremely rough and dangerous for offshore platforms."

Meanwhile the IMD advised fishermen not to venture into the sea during the next week and suggested farmers to protect their standing crop.

Since Wednesday, Tada in Tirupati district received 14 cm rainfall, followed by Venkatagiri (Tirupati district) 10 cm, Satyavedu (Tirupati) 7.4 cm and Nellore 3.1 cm.