Low pressure over Bay of Bengal likely to bring rains to Tamil Nadu

Chennai: A low pressure area over Indian ocean and adjoining Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a depression and later into a cyclonic storm before reaching the north Tamil Nadu coast on April 30, the India Meteorological Department said Thursday. The IMD forecast light to moderate rainfall at many places in coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala on Sunday (April 28) and said rain was likely at isolated places in South coastal Andhra Pradesh.

However, it forecast "rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at a few places with extremely heavy at isolated places," in coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on April 30 and May 1.

The low pressure area over east Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal lies as a well marked low pressure area over the same region, it said.

"It is very likely to intensify into a depression during the next 24 hours over east Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining central parts of south Bay of Bengal."

"It is very likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm during the subsequent 24 hours," the IMD said.

It said on Friday, squally wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph was likely over Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal.

"Squally weather very likely over south Andaman Sea.

Fishermen are advised not to venture into these areas," it added.

Wind speed would touch 90-100 kmph gusting to 115 kmph along and off north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh districts coasts from the afternoon of April 30, it added.