VISAKHAPATNAM: Officials in Andhra Pradesh heaved a sigh of relief on Sunday as the weatherman predicted that the cyclone Asani may not hit the state coast.
However, it is likely to trigger heavy rainfall at isolated places over north coastal Andhra Pradesh.
Asani, the first cyclone in the Bay of Bengal this season, is predicted to reach the north Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast around May 10.
Thereafter, it is very likely to recurve north-northeast and move towards northwest Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast, sparing AP.
According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), Asani on Sunday lay over Southeast Bay of Bengal moving north-westwards with a speed of 13 kilometres per hour.
Heavy rainfall likely over north coastal AP
It lay centered about 480 km westnorthwest of Car Nicobar (Nicobar Islands), 400-km west of Port Blair (Andaman Islands), 940 km southeast of Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and 1,000 km south southeast of Puri (Odisha). It has intensified further into a severe cyclonic storm over east-central Bay of Bengal.
IMD-Amaravati director Stella S said that heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places over north coastal AP with squally wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph and gusting to 60 kmph likely at one or two places in north coastal AP and Yanam from May 10 to 12. Thunderstorms accompanied with lightning are likely at one or two places over south coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema during the period. Amateur weather forcaster Sai Praneeth B, popularly known as AP weatherman, tweeted that Asani is heading straight towards Visakhapatnam coast on May 10. It may cause light to moderate rainfall in NCAP on May 10 and 11 and then move towards Bangladesh by taking a U-turn.
The IMD said Asani will lose its strength and weaken considerably as it moves along the coast and cease to be a cyclone before it hits the coast.
