Low pressure area over Bay of Bengal to bring rains to Tamil Nadu on 30 April; moderate rainfall likely in Puducherry, Kerala

Chennai: A low pressure area over Indian ocean and adjoining Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a depression and later into a cyclonic storm before reaching the north Tamil Nadu coast on 30 April, the India Meteorological Department said Thursday. The IMD forecast light to moderate rainfall at many places in coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala on Sunday (28 April) and said rain was likely at isolated places in South coastal Andhra Pradesh. [caption id=“attachment_5748581” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. PTI[/caption] However, it forecast “rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at a few places with extremely heavy at isolated places,” in coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on 30 April and 1 May. The low pressure area over east Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal lies as a well marked low pressure area over the same region, it said. “It is very likely to intensify into a depression during the next 24 hours over east Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining central parts of south Bay of Bengal. It is very likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm during the subsequent 24 hours,” the IMD said. It said on Friday, squally wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph was likely over Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal. “Squally weather very likely over south Andaman Sea. Fishermen are advised not to venture into these areas,” it added. Wind speed would touch 90-100 kmph gusting to 115 kmph along and off north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh districts coasts from the afternoon of 30 April, it added. The sea condition was likely to be rough over east Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining central parts of south Bay of Bengal on Friday, rough to very rough on Saturday and very rough to high over southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining Equatorial Indian Ocean and along and off Sri Lanka on Sunday, it said. Sea condition will be high to very high over Southwest Bay of Bengal, along and off Sri Lanka, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts on 29 and 30 April. IMD also issued a warning to fishermen, asking them not to venture into these areas till 30 April. Kuzhithurai (Kanyakumari) and Uttamapalayam (Theni) recorded 3 cm rainfall, as per the 8.30 am figures on Thursday.