Cyclone Forming Over Bay of Bengal, Likely to Hit Andhra on Monday

The deep depression in Bay of Bengal off the Andhra Pradesh coast is expected to intensify into a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours, the Met Department warned on Friday. In the subsequent 36 hours, the storm may intensify into a severe cyclonic storm, it said

It is very likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Ongole and Kakinada on Monday afternoon, 17 December. 

The depression is currently 930 km east-southeast of Chennai  and 1090 km southeast of Andhra’s Machilipatnam.

According to the Indian Express , if the depression intensifies into a cyclone, it will be called Phethai. 

Coastal Andhra Pradesh is likely to receive heavy to very rainfall beginning Saturday evening.

The IMD has forecast rain over south Chhattisgarh and  Odisha on 17 December.

It has also issued wind warnings for Andhra Pradesh, north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts.

Fishermen out in the deep sea have been advised to return to the coast.

They have been advised not to venture into southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal on Friday, into southwest and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal on Saturday and westcentral and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal and along and off Andhra Pradesh, north Tamilnadu and Puducherry coasts on Sunday and Monday.

Andhra and Tamil Nadu were on alert last month when Cyclone Gaja passed over the states. Gaja made landfall on the Tamil Nadu coast between Nagapattinam and Vedaranyam on 16 November.