Hyderabad: The deep depression in the Southeastern Bay of Bengal has intensified into a tropical storm or cyclone and lay centred 240 kms west-north west away of Port Blair on Thursday morning.
Named “Vardha”, the storm was likely to further intensify into a severe cyclone. It was now heading towards the east coast of India and was likely to hit Andhra Pradesh on Sunday, the Cyclone Warning Centre, Visakhapatanam said.
The system has already caused havoc on Andaman Islands and 1,400 tourists were stuck there as the region was hit by heavy rains and powerful winds.
The CWC has warned that the coastal region of Andhra Pradesh will start feeling the impact of the cyclone after 48 hours. The weather department officials have warned heavy rain and squally winds along the AP coast over the weekend.
Weather officials forecast light to moderate rainfall at many places with isolated heavy falls over coastal Andhra from Sunday.
The state administration was keeping a close watch in the trajectory and the course of the storm as it was moving in the north westerly direction. The cyclone was likely to hit the coast near Machilipatnan in Krishna district in early hours of Monday. Indian Meteorological department said. The IMD has also asked Telangana and other neighbouring states to be alert.
The weather office has also warned the fishermen against Venturing into sea along and off the Andaman and Nicobar Island and adjoining area.
Danger signal number 1 was also boosted at all the ports of Andhra Pradesh.
This is the third cyclone threat Andhra Pradesh was facing since the onset of the northeast monsoon season.
