After Nivar, another cyclone likely to bring heavy rains in TN, Kerala

Within a week of the landfall of Cyclone Nivar near Puducherry, another storm is headed towards the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday (November 30).

The department said the cyclone will cross the Sri Lanka coast on December 2, bringing heavy to very heavy rains to Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

In view of the storm, MET has issued a red alert for both the states.

“It is very likely to intensify further into a deep depression during the next 24 hours. It is also likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm. It is very likely to move west-northwestwards and cross the Sri Lanka coast around the evening of December 2,” the IMD said in a bulletin.

The wind speed would gradually increase from 55-56 kmph gusting to 75 kmph gusting over the southeast and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal from the night of December 1 while it will bring winds from 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph over southwest Bay of Bengal, along and off Sri Lanka coast.

The Comorin area near Kanyakumari, Gulf of Mannar as well as the coasts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala will witness the cyclone raging at a wind speech of 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph gusting on December 2.

The forecast said the storm will likely move nearly westwards and emerge into the Comorin area on the morning of December 3.

As the sea would be rough, fishermen have been advised not to venture into the southeast and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal sea from the night of December 1 and along and off east Sri Lanka coast, Comorin area, Gulf of Mannar and Tamil Nadu-Kerala coasts from the forenoon of December 2 for the subsequent 24 hours.