India / Another storm could hit Tamil Nadu after Cyclone Nivar: IMD

Chennai: Tamil Nadu, which faced Cyclone Nivar just last week, and Kerala are bracing for heavy rains over the next few days as a depression over the South-east Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a deep depression and later into a cyclonic storm.

The depression lay centred about 710 km east-south-east of Trincomalee in Eastern Sri Lanka and 1,120 km east-south-east of Kanyakumari, the southernmost tip of the Indian mainland, at 8.30 am on Monday.

“It is very likely to intensify further into a Deep Depression during the next 12 hours. It is also likely to intensify further into a Cyclonic Storm during subsequent 24 hours. It is very likely to move west-north-westwards and cross the Sri Lanka coast around the evening of December 2. It is very likely to move nearly westwards thereafter and emerge into the Comorin area (Kanyakumari) on December 3,” the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its forecast.

It added that southern Tamil Nadu districts like Kanyakumari, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi, Ramanathapuram, and Sivaganga will experience heavy to very heavy rainfall on December 2 and 3. Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts in Kerala on December 3.

Tamil Nadu received heavy to heavy rains last week under the influence of Cyclone Nivar, which made landfall between Marakanam and Puducherry. At least four people died in cyclone-related incidents.

“Heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places very likely over north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Karaikal and north Kerala & Mahe on December 2 and 3 and isolated heavy rainfall on December one and four,” the forecast said.

The IMD also advised fishermen not to venture into the south-east Bay of Bengal from November 30 to December 1, south-west Bay of Bengal and along & off east Sri Lanka coast from December 1 to December 3 and Comorin Area, Gulf of Mannar and south Tamil Nadu-Kerala coasts from December 2 to December 4.