Vijayawada, November 28, 2024: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for South Coastal and Rayalaseema districts in Andhra Pradesh, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall for the next three days. The rainfall is expected due to the influence of a cyclonic storm developing in the Bay of Bengal. In addition, a ‘Number 1’ warning has been issued for all ports in the state.
As of Wednesday morning, the Deep Depression over the Southwest Bay of Bengal was located about 320 km southeast of Nagapattinam and 420 km southeast of Puducherry. The system is expected to intensify into a cyclonic storm within the next 12 hours and continue moving north-northwest towards the Tamil Nadu coast, skirting Sri Lanka over the next two days.
State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) CMD, R Kurmanath, has been closely monitoring the situation. He stated that districts like Nellore, Sri Sathya Sai, YSR, Annamayya, and Chittoor are expected to receive moderate to heavy rains on Thursday. Additionally, Kakinada, Dr. BR Ambedkar Konaseema, Godavari, and Eluru districts will experience light to moderate rains. Heavy to very heavy rains are expected to affect various districts, including Prakasam, Nellore, Chittoor, and Tirupati over the weekend.
Given the expected gale-force winds of 55 to 65 kmph, gusting up to 75 kmph along the southern Andhra Pradesh coastline, authorities have advised fishermen not to venture into the sea. People in low-lying areas of these districts have been put on high alert to minimize potential damage and loss from the storm’s impact.
