CHENNAI: Following a warning by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) about ‘high energy swell waves’ hitting the coast, the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Agency (TNSDMA) has alerted the fishermen and public to be cautious while moving along shore on Saturday and Sunday. K Satyagopal, Commissioner for Revenue Administration and Relief Commissioner said tidal waves were likely to hit the coast, particularly Ramanathapuram and Kanniyakumari districts, from 8.30 am on Saturday to 11.30 pm on Sunday at an interval of 18 to 22 seconds.
“Waves at a height of 2.5 to 3.5m are likely to strike in low-lying areas. Fishermen should avoid plying boats close to the shore and public must refrain from entering the shores,” he said. Fishermen should anchor their boats with adequate gap to avoid collision and subsequent damage, Satyagopal advised.The TNSDMA will continuously monitor the situation and issue alerts to the districts concerned. The impact of swell waves will be severe along the coast, while lesser in the high sea.
The advisory issued by INCOIS said the wave impact in the Bay of Bengal could be particularly high off the west coast of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, as compared to the east coast of India. In the Bay of Bengal, the high swell wave regime is likely to continue and decrease only by around Tuesday. The swell energy is likely to be higher on Monday. The low-lying coasts of Kerala and West Bengal are vulnerable to giant waves.
The INCOIS informed that high tidal waves will be monitored in real time using instruments deployed in the deep sea and near shore and also a wave rider buoy will be deployed off Seychelles for early warning requirements. The public are advised to check the INCOIS website (www.incois.gov.in/portal/osf/osf.jsp) for further information about the high tidal waves.