The India Meteorological Department on Thursday said a depression in the west-central Bay of Bengal intensified into a deep depression the previous night and is likely to become a cyclonic storm by the evening. The weather bureau predicted “extremely heavy” rain at some places in southern Odisha and northern coastal Andhra Pradesh till Friday morning.
The deep depression is expected to cross the coastal areas in southern Odisha and northern Andhra Pradesh around midnight with wind speeds of 60 km per hour-70 km per hour gusting to 80 km per hour, the forecast said.
The predicted cyclonic storm is likely to weaken to a deep depression by early Friday and then a depression by the evening, the Met department said. Most places in Odisha and coastal Andhra Pradesh will receive rain till Saturday morning.
“Squally wind speed reaching 45-55 km per hour gusting to 65 km per hour is very likely along and off Odisha and north Andhra Pradesh coasts,” the forecast said. “It will gradually increase, becoming 60-70 km per hour gusting 80 km per hour from today [Thursday] evening for subsequent 12 hours.”
The weather department has predicted “damage” by the storm in Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts of Andhra Pradesh and Gajapati, Ganjam, Khurda, Nayagarh and Puri districts in Odisha.
Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea.
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