Cyclone Akvan, which is developing over the Bay of Bengal, is likely to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm by November 19 and move towards the Andhra Pradesh coast, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said.
The Met Department has warned of heavy rainfall over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal as a depression over the Bay of Bengal intensifies into Cyclone Akvan. The system is likely to strengthen into a very severe cyclonic storm by November 19 and move towards the Andhra Pradesh coast.
Cyclone’s likely path
The depression over the southeast and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal is moving north-northwestwards and is expected to intensify into a cyclonic storm on Monday (November 16). It is likely to strengthen further into a severe cyclonic storm on November 17 before becoming a very severe cyclonic storm on November 19, according to the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Chennai.
Also read: Cyclone Akvan may intensify by Nov 16; will it bring rain to Chennai?
Fishermen and coastal communities have been advised to follow official weather bulletins and warnings.
The system is likely to bring light to moderate rainfall to parts of Tamil Nadu, with no direct landfall expected over the state.
Current position
In its latest bulletin issued on Sunday (November 15), the IMD said the depression had moved north-northwestwards at a speed of 15 kmph over the past six hours. On Sunday morning, it was centred over the southeast and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal, about 800 km east-southeast of Chennai and 960 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
The weather system is likely to continue moving north-northwestwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm over the central parts of the south Bay of Bengal and adjoining west-central Bay on Monday. It is then expected to move northwestwards towards the Andhra Pradesh coast over the following two days, the IMD said.
Also read: Back-to-back severe cyclones Arnab and Murasu: How common is it in Bay of Bengal?
The system developed from a low-pressure area over the southeast Bay of Bengal, which became a well-marked low-pressure area early on Saturday before intensifying into a depression on Sunday morning. It has been named Akvan.
Rainfall forecast
The IMD has warned of heavy rainfall over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal as the system intensifies. Fishermen and coastal communities have been advised to follow official weather bulletins and warnings.
Meanwhile, an upper-air cyclonic circulation persists over south Tamil Nadu and adjoining areas. Another trough associated with the developing depression extends from the southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining equatorial Indian Ocean towards the northern parts of the Maldives, the meteorological department said.