Visakhapatnam: The deep depression over East Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining Bay of Bengal has intensified into a cyclonic storm and has been named ‘Fani’.
The cyclonic storm is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm during next 24 hours and is likely to move north-westwards of the Sri Lanka coast during next 72 hours. It may reach north Tamil Nadu and South Andhra Pradesh coasts by the evening of April 30.
The Cyclone Warning Centre, Vizag, in its fourth special bulletin, said that light to moderate rainfall may occur at few places and heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh.
The Cyclone Warning Centre said that the wind speed is expected to reach up to 145-155 km per hour, gusting to 170 km per hour over southwest and adjoining west central Bay of Bengal.
The condition of the sea is also very likely to be rough to very rough along and off south coastal Andhra Pradesh from Monday and very high to phenomenal from Wednesday.
The Distant Warning Signal No. 2 was hoisted at Visakhapatnam, Machilipatnam, Nizampatnam and Krishnapatnam ports. Distant Warning Signal No. 2 with Section Signal No. 5 were hoisted at Kakinada and Gangavaram ports.
Meanwhile, collectors in North Andhra districts are bracing for all eventualities. A control room has been set up at Machilipatnam district headquarters in view of ‘Fani’.
The Meteorological Centre, Hyderabad, too forecast light to moderate rain or thundershowers very likely at isolated places over coastal AP on Sunday.
A similar warning was sounded for Monday too.
