Cyclonic storm 'Gaja' over Bay of Bengal likely to intensify into Severe Cyclonic Storm in next 24 hrs: IMD

The Cyclonic storm 'Gaja' over the Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify further into a 'Severe Cyclonic Storm' in the next 24 hrs, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday.

A cyclone alert has been issued for north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts.

In a press statement, the IMD warned that the storm is very likely to move west-northwestwards during the next 36 hours and then west-southwestwards towards north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coasts during the subsequent 48 hours. 

However, while moving west-southwestwards, it is likely to weaken gradually and cross north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coasts between Cuddalore (Tamil Nadu) and Sriharikota as a Cyclonic Storm during November 15 forenoon.

The depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal intensified into a deep depression on Saturday evening over southeast and adjoining central Bay of Bengal. Moving further west-northwestwards, it intensified into a cyclonic storm “Gaja” over east central and adjoining west central and southeast Bay of Bengal in the early morning of Sunday.

It lay centred at 8.30 am over the same region, about 460 km west-northwest of Port Blair (Andaman Islands), 930 km east-northeast of Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and 980 km east-southeast of Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh). 

The IMD has said that rainfall will occur at most places with heavy falls at isolated places very likely to commence over north coastal Tamil Nadu and adjoining south coastal Andhra Pradesh from the evening of November 14. Rainfall intensity is very likely to increase gradually thereafter with rainfall at most places and heavy to very heavy at a few places and extremely heavy falls at isolated places very likely over north Tamil Nadu and at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places very likely over south Tamil Nadu, South Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema on November 15.

Rainfall will occur at most places with heavy rainfall at isolated places likely over the Andaman Islands on Sunday and decrease thereafter.

The fishermen have been advised not to venture into the Andaman Sea during the next 12 hours, over central and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal during November 11-13 and over southwest and adjoining west central Bay of Bengal from November 12.