A cyclonic storm is expected on the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast in the next 24 hours due to well-marked low pressure over southwest Bay of Bengal, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday. Cyclone Gati, is likely to make landfall between Karaikal in Puducherry and Mamallapuram in northern Tamil Nadu on November 24 and 25.
“The well-marked low pressure over southwest Bay of Bengal is very likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm during next 24 hours and move towards Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast. It’s likely to cross between Karaikal and Mamallapuram by November 25 afternoon,” IMD Chennai’s S Balachandran told ANI.
“Very severe cyclonic storm ‘GATI’ over the southwest Arabian Sea moved westwards and lay centred over the southwest Arabian Sea near Latitude 10.4° N and Longitude 51.5°E, about 40 km east of Somalia coast & 90 km south-southeast of Ras Binnah (Somalia) at 1730 hrs IST today,” IMD had tweeted.
“The well-marked low-pressure area over southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal persists. It is very likely to concentrate into a depression over Southwest Bay of Bengal during next 12 hours and intensify further into a cyclonic storm during subsequent 24 hours,” IMD added.
Ship and fishermen should avoid venturing into the open sea till November 25 as a precautionary measure,the IMD said, as the approaching depression will increase the wind speed, especially in the coastal areas. On November 25, when the cyclonic storm is expected to make the landfall, the wind speed is expected to go up to 80-90 kmph gusting 100 kmph from the current 40-50 kmph.
