Cyclone Storm Gaja advances, likely to turn severe in next 24 hours says IMD

The cyclonic storm Gaja has moved further in towards coastal Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and is likely intensify into a severe cyclonic storm during next 24 hours and cross the coast between Nagappattinam and Chennai, the weatherman has warned.

They have also warned of medium to heavy rainfall in north coastal Tamil Nadu and adjoining south coastal Andhra Pradesh from the evening of November 14. Rainfall intensity is likely to increase gradually thereafter.

Gale wind speed reaching 70-80 kmph is also likely from the morning of November 13 and the speed is likely to increase to 80-90 kmph off north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts from November 14.

The administrations in the two states are on alert with both advising fishermen against venturing into the sea for the next 24 hours as the conditions are expected to deteriorate and get rough.

“The deep depression over southeast and adjoining central Bay of Bengal moved west-n
orthwestwards with a speed of 12 kmph in the past six hours and intensified into a cyclonic storm ‘Gaja’ and lay centred over east-central and adjoining west-central and southeast Bay of Bengal,” the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday.

The cyclonic storm is likely to intensify into a ‘severe cyclonic storm’ in the next 24 hrs and move west-northwestwards during next 36 hrs and west-southwestwards towards north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh in the subsequent 48 hours, the department said.