Days after Cyclone Arnab battered Andhra Pradesh, another cyclonic storm is likely to approach the state's coast by November 2, with a weather system over the Bay of Bengal expected to intensify into a cyclonic storm within the next 24 hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday.
The latest forecast comes days after Cyclone Arnab crossed the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts on October 28, leaving at least five people dead and causing extensive damage to infrastructure and crops.
The weather system, which originated as a low-pressure area over the South Andaman Sea and adjoining North Andaman Sea and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, has since intensified into a well-marked low-pressure area over the southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining regions.
In its latest bulletin issued at 8.30 am on Saturday, the IMD said the system was very likely to concentrate into a depression over the same region within the next six hours.
Thereafter, it is very likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm during the subsequent 24 hours, moving west-northwestwards towards the west-central Bay of Bengal, the weather department said.
The system is expected to reach the west-central Bay of Bengal near the Andhra Pradesh coast around the evening of November 2. However, the IMD has not forecast a landfall at this stage.
The IMD has forecast heavy rainfall in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal until November 5. Kerala and Mahe are also likely to receive heavy rainfall until November 4.
The weather department has also warned of rough sea conditions along the Andhra Pradesh coast.
Winds reaching speeds of 30-40 kmph, with gusts of up to 50 kmph, are likely over coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam and Rayalaseema until November 1.