VIJAYAWADA: The depression over northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining West Bengal and Odisha coasts moved west-northwestwards and crossed north Odisha-West Bengal coast on Tuesday night and weakened into a well-marked low pressure on Wednesday. The low pressure is now lying over north Chhattisgarh and its neighbourhood.
As the southwest monsoon is active over coastal AP, moderate to heavy rains will occur in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari and moderate to light rains are likely to occur in West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur districts in the next 24 to 48 hours. According to the IMD officials, associated cyclonic circulation extends up to 7.6 km above mean sea level, tilting southwards with height. Apart from the existing low pressure, a fresh low pressure area is likely to form over northwest Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood around August 13.
As on Wednesday, the weather conditions across the coastal districts were comparatively cooler, with the districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari and Krishna receiving light to moderate showers, ranging from one to five cm.
Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services and Indian Ocean Forecast System (INDOFOS) issued ‘high wind alert’, stating that strong surface winds from westerly direction, with speed reaching 45-50 kmph were likely to blow along and off coastal Andhra Pradesh for the next few days. The state of the sea will be rough and the fishermen are cautioned not to venture into the sea along and off coastal Andhra Pradesh.
Speaking to TNIE, weather forecasting officer of IMD, K Naga Ratna said, “Currently we have normal monsoon, which is little active over coastal AP and slightly weak over the Rayalaseema region. There are more chances of occurrence of moderate to heavy rains, of about 5 cm in the entire coastal region in the next 48 hours.”