Cyclone Ditwah to Bring 4 Days of Heavy Rain, Winds across Andhra

Visakhapatnam: Cyclone storm Ditwah is expected to reach north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh in the early hours of Sunday.

Under its influence, the IMD has predicted that rainfall activity will increase in Nellore, Tirupati, Chittoor, Prakasam, Sri Sathya Sai, YSR Kadapa and Annamayya districts between Saturday night and Sunday morning.

A red alert (extremely heavy rainfall) has been sounded for Tirupati, Chittoor and SPSR Nellore districts for Sunday. An orange alert (heavy to very heavy rainfall) has been issued for the three districts of Prakasam, YSR Kadapa and Annamayya for Sunday. Heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places over Palnadu, Guntur, Bapatla, Kurnool, Nandyal, Anantapur and Sri Sathya Sai districts.

On Monday, December 1, heavy to very heavy rain is likely at isolated places over Prakasam and Sri Sathya Sai districts, while heavy rain is likely at isolated places over East Godavari, Konaseema, Eluru, West Godavari, NTR, Krishna, Palnadu, Guntur, Bapatla, Nandyal, YSR Kadapa, Annamayya and Tirupati districts.

Squally weather with wind speeds of 35–45 kmph gusting to 55 kmph are likely along and off south coastal Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam.

The weather agency has forecast that due to heavy rains for two days, there could be moderate flash flood at few locations in Rayalaseema and south coastal Andhra Pradesh.

Following the IMD forecast, chief secretary K. Vijayanand held a teleconference with collectors of Chittoor, Tirupati, Annamayya, Sri Sathya Sai, Nellore, Bapatla and Prakasam districts on Saturday. He instructed administrations of the respective districts to take appropriate precautionary measures, apart from ensuring that no fishermen go fishing into the sea until next Tuesday.

The CS wanted authorities to send SMSes to people living in various areas, alerting them about the situation.