'Asani' weakens into cyclonic storm, advances towards Andhra coast

Visakhapatnam: Parts of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions of Andhra Pradesh were receiving heavy rains accompanied by gusty winds on Wednesday even as severe cyclonic storm 'Asani' weakened into a cyclonic storm in Bay of Bengal.

The cyclonic storm lay centred about 50 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam, 150 km southwest of Kakinada and 290 km southwest of Visakhapatnam on Wednesday morning.

According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), it is very likely to move nearly northwards for next few hours and then north northeast wards along Narsapur, Yanam, Kakinada, Tuni and Visakhapatnam coasts during noon to evening and emerge into westcentral Bay of Bengal off North Andhra Pradesh coasts by night.

It is likely to weaken gradually into a depression by May 12 morning. The cyclonic storm is under the continuous surveillance of Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) at Machilipatnam, it said.

Light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places with isolated extremely heavy falls is likely over coastal Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday.

Light to moderate rainfall is likely at many places with heavy rainfall at isolated places is likely over north coastal Andhra Pradesh on Thursday.

Squally wind speed reaching 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph is prevailing along and off Andhra Pradesh coast. It is likely to increase and become gale wind speed reaching 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph along and off Andhra Pradesh coast (Krishna, East & West Godavari, Yanam of Puducherry and Visakhapatnam districts) during Wednesday forenoon to afternoon. It would then decrease gradually to 45-55 Kmph gusting to 65 Kmph over the region by Thursday morning.

Storm surge of height about 0.5 m above astronomical tide is likely to inundate low-lying areas of Krishna, East & West Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh and Yanam of Puducherry, the IMD said.

All the coastal districts have been put on alert. Officials said nine teams each of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been sent to the districts likely to be affected.