VIJAYAWADA: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted heavy rains over coastal districts for the next three days in coastal districts on Friday due to a low-pressure area formed under the influence of a cyclonic circulation over the east-central Bay of Bengal and its vicinity.
The low-pressure system, which developed at 8.30 hours IST on Thursday, is expected to move west-northwestwards and become more marked over the west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal by Friday.
The IMD warns that the system is likely to intensify into a depression over the west-central and northwest Bay of Bengal in the coming days, with heavy to very heavy rainfall expected in isolated places across North and South Coastal Andhra Pradesh on Friday.
Thunderstorms with lightning and strong surface winds, reaching speeds of 30-40 kmph, are also forecasted for isolated areas across the State.
Several places in coastal Andhra Pradesh and a few in Rayalaseema received light to moderate rainfall. Visakhapatnam city recorded the highest rainfall of 6 cm, followed by 5 cm in Garugubill of Parvathipuram Manyam district, and 4 cm in various locations such as Cheepurupalle, Pusapatirega, and Denkada. Rainfall of up to 3 cm was observed in parts of coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema on Thursday. In related developments, the Nagarjuna Sagar project is experiencing heavy inflows into the Pulichintala Project and subsequently to the Prakasam Barrage.
By Thursday evening, inflows to Pulichintala reached 2.65 lakh cusecs, while Prakasam Barrage received 2.03 lakh cusecs. All 70 gates of the barrage were lifted, with 65 gates raised to 4 feet and five gates to 3 feet. The total surplus water released downstream was 2.03 lakh cusecs, with 1,85,975 cusecs released from the spillway into the sea.