Visakhapatnam: Cyclonic storm Mandous over the southwest Bay of Bengal is likely to cross the eastern coast by early hours on Saturday.
It moved northwestwards and lay centered, on Friday, over the southwest Bay of Bengal, off north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts, about 350 km north of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka), 250 km north-northeast of Jaffna (Sri Lanka), 135 km southeast of Mamallapuram and about 170 km south-southeast of Chennai.
IMD Amaravati said the system is likely to move northwestwards and cross north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts between Puducherry and Sriharikota, around Mahabalipuram, with a maximum wind speed of 65-75 kmph, gusting to 85 kmph during the early hours of Saturday.
As the system moved closer to the coast, it caused moderate to heavy rainfall over parts of Tirupati, Nellore and Annamayya districts and heavy showers in parts of Prakasam district.
Dr Sagili Karunasagar, scientist of IMD Amaravati said heavy rainfall is likely at a few places in Prakasam, YSR Kadapa and Satya Sai districts on Friday night. Heavy to very heavy rainfall was likely at isolated places in Chittoor, Annamayya and Sathya Sai districts on Saturday and heavy rainfall was likely at isolated places in Tirupati, Nellore, YSR Kadapa and Anantapur districts the same day.
NDRF and SDRF teams have been deployed to Nellore, Tirupati, Chittoor and Prakasam districts.
Brahmadevam, Krishnapatnam and Akkampet areas in Nellore district recorded a rainfall of 9cm and Naidupeta, Vakadu, Vidyanagar and Thogaramudi areas in Tirupati district recorded 8cm rainfall during the last 24 hours ending 5.30pm on Friday.
There will be an increase in inflows to the Somasila Reservoir due to the heavy cyclonic rainfall in Penna basin, in addition to the present inflows.
According to the project officials, 10,000 cusecs of water is being released initially from the Somasila reservoir’s crest gates into Penna river. The outflows may be increased further depending on the inflows from the upstream.
