Andhra braces for another cyclone
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A depression over the Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm and make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast on November 3, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday. The weather system, which developed from a well-marked low-pressure area over the Southeast Bay of Bengal, is expected to strengthen into a deep depression over the next 12 hours before intensifying further into a cyclonic storm. The development comes days after cyclonic storm Arnab battered Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, with wind speeds reaching 150 kmph at the time of landfall on October 28.Cyclonic storm may hit Andhra Pradesh coast on November 3IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the possible cyclonic storm could bring wind speeds of 80 kmph to 90 kmph, with occasional gusts reaching 100 kmph."The wind speed of the possible cyclonic storm is likely to be between 80 kmph and 90 kmph, with occasional gusts up to 100 kmph. It may make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast on Tuesday morning," Mohapatra said.In its bulletin issued at 3 pm on Saturday, the weather department said the well-marked low-pressure area over the Southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Andaman Sea had intensified into a depression.The system concentrated into a depression at 11.30 am on October 31 over the same region, the IMD said.Depression likely to intensify into deep depression, cyclonic stormAccording to the IMD, the depression was located around 330 km west-southwest of Sri Vijayapuram in the Andaman Islands and 300 km west-northwest of Car Nicobar.The weather system is likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a deep depression over the Southeast Bay of Bengal during the next 12 hours."Continuing to move west-northwestwards, it is very likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm over southeast and adjoining areas of southwest and West-central Bay of Bengal during the subsequent 12 hours and reach over West-central Bay of Bengal near Andhra Pradesh coast around evening of November 2," the bulletin said.A depression is a weather system that is stronger than a low-pressure area but less intense than a cyclonic storm.IMD monitors system, forecasts rain in OdishaThe IMD is tracking the system's movement and has said it will issue further updates as it develops.The director of the Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar, Manorama Mohanty, said, "We are monitoring the system's progress and will issue further updates as it evolves."The weather department has also forecast light to moderate rain or thundershowers in a few districts of Odisha.Inputs from agencies
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