The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a special bulletin and said that due to ‘Asani’, winds at a speed of 120 kilometers per hour can occur and rain can occur. The cyclonic storm ‘Asani’ formed over the Bay of Bengal has taken a serious form and has turned into a severe cyclonic storm. Cyclone Asani is moving towards Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Odisha at a speed of 25 kmph, although it is expected to weaken gradually over the next two days.
It is important to note that Asani has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm at 5 pm IST on Sunday over Southeast Bay of Bengal, about 610km northwest of Car Nicobar (Nicobar Islands).
The IMD officials have notified that Asani, which means ‘wrath’ in Sinhala, one of the official languages of Sri Lanka, would not make landfall on the Andhra-Odisha coast and is likely to miss the coast by 100 km. Additionally, it predicted light to moderate rainfall from Tuesday evening at many places over districts of coastal Odisha and heavy rainfall (7 -11cm) at one or two places over the districts of Gajapati, Ganjam, and Puri.
The system will not make landfall either in Odisha or Andhra Pradesh, IMD Director-General Mrutunjay Mohaptra had said on Sunday. The cyclone will move parallel to the east coast and cause rainfall from Tuesday evening. The weather office said very high sea conditions were likely to prevail over west-central and adjoining south Bay of Bengal and asked fishermen not to venture out in the region for the next couple of days.
It is very likely to weaken gradually into a cyclonic storm during the next 48 hours. IMD Director-General Mrityunjay Mohapatra had said on Sunday that it would not reach Odisha or Andhra Pradesh. He had said that the cyclone will move parallel to the east coast and may cause rain from Tuesday evening. According to the Meteorological Department, the sea movement is likely to intensify over west-central and adjoining south Bay of Bengal and fishermen have been asked to stay away from the area for the next few days. Due to the cyclone, light to moderate rain is expected from Tuesday evening along in the coastal areas of Odisha and along with the coastal areas of north Andhra Pradesh.
Fishermen are advised not to venture into the deep sea area over the central parts of the Bay of Bengal on May 9-10 and over Northwest Bay of Bengal from May 10-12, as per the weather department.
