Cyclone Asani: Depression to intensify in next 24 hrs

New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday said the depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal and the adjoining south Andaman Sea will intensify further into a deep depression during the next 24 hours.

"Yesterday's well-marked low-pressure area intensified into a depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining south the Andaman Sea at 5:30 AM today. To intensify further into a Deep Depression during the next 24 hours," IMD informed in a tweet.

Further, the national weather forecasting agency has issued rainfall warnings for Andaman and Nicobar Islands and said that light to moderate rainfall/thundershower at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and isolated extremely heavy rainfall are very likely over the Andaman Islands and isolated heavy rainfall over the Nicobar Islands today.

For tomorrow, the IMD has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and isolated extremely heavy rainfall.

Sea conditions are very likely to be rough to very rough over the Andaman Sea and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal today, the IMD informed.

An advisory has been issued to the fishermen and they have been advised not to venture into the southeast Bay of Bengal during March 20-21, and into the Andaman Sea and along and off Andaman and Nicobar Islands during March 20-22.

Earlier on Saturday, with the year's first cyclone Asani brewing over the Bay of Bengal, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Administration issued an advisory for fishermen appealing to them not to venture into the sea during the period of the cyclone from March 19-22.

In view of the forecast, the Islands Administration has activated emergency control rooms. Chief Secretary Jitendra Narain on Friday reviewed the Union Territory-level preparations to face Cyclone Asani. All officers were directed to take every effort to ensure the safety of all citizens.

Meanwhile, latest update from IMD Amaravati have confirmed that Lower Tropospheric Southly winds currently prevail over Andhra Pradesh and Yanam.

Amaravati IMD director Stella S. had earlier said that as cyclonic storms suck away moisture in the atmosphere, northerly winds will lead to rise in temperatures. As of now, however, lower tropospheric southerly winds are prevailing over Andhra Pradesh and Yanam. These winds have brought down day temperatures marginally in Andhra Pradesh after the system formed in southeast Bay of Bengal.

The system will not have any impact over the coastlines of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal, the IMD report maintained.