'Cyclone Asani' weakens into 'cyclonic storm' today, likely to become depression by Thursday

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday said that the severe Cyclonic Storm 'Asani' weakened into a 'cyclonic storm' and is likely to become a depression by Thursday morning.

"The Severe Cyclonic Storm 'Asani' over westcentral Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 12 kmph during the past 6 hours, weakened into a Cyclonic Storm," said IMD.

"Asani lay centered at 0230 hours IST of May 11, over the same region near latitude 15.6degN and longitude 81.3degE, about 60 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 180 km south-southwest of Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh), 310 km southwest of Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 550 km southsouthwest of Gopalpur (Odisha) and 660 km southwest of Puri (Odisha)," said IMD.

The cyclone is very likely to move nearly northwestwards for the next few hours and reach Westcentral Bay of Bengal close to Andhra Pradesh coast.

"Thereafter, it's very likely to recurve slowly north-northeastwards, move along Machilipatnam, Narsapur, Yanam, Kakinada, Tuni and Visakhapatnam coasts and emerge into westcentral Bay of Bengal off North Andhra Pradesh coasts by today evening," said IMD.

The weather forecasting agency said that further the cyclone is likely to move northeastwards towards northwest Bay of Bengal and is likely to weaken gradually into a depression by May 12 morning.

The cyclonic storm is under the continuous surveillance of Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) at Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

IMD also predicted light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places with isolated extremely heavy falls is likely over coastal Andhra Pradesh and heavy rainfall at isolated places is likely over coastal Odisha and adjoining coastal West Bengal today.

It further predicted the gale wind speed reaching 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph is prevailing around the system center over Westcentral Bay of Bengal. It would gradually decrease become 60-70 Kmph gusting to 80 Kmph by today evening over the same region. Further, it would decrease to 40-50 Kmph gusting to 60 Kmph over Westcentral Bay of Bengal on May 12.

"Squally wind speed reaching 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph is prevailing along and off Andhra Pradesh coast. It is likely to increase and become gale wind speed reaching 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph in the morning hours of 11th May along & off Andhra Pradesh coast (Krishna, East & West Godavari, Yanam of Puducherry UT and Visakhapatnam districts) and further, it would decrease to 45-55 Kmph gusting to 65 Kmph over the region," it said.

IMD said that the squally wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph is likely to continue along and off Odisha coast and West Bengal coast on May 11 and 12.

The sea condition is likely to be high over westcentral and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal on May 11 and very rough to rough over the same region on May 12.

It also advised suspending fishing operations over westcentral Bay of Bengal on May 11 and over the northwest Bay of Bengal till May 12.

Meanwhile, traffic movement on Kakinada - Uppada Beach Road in Andhra Prades is closed in wake of Cyclone Asani

"Pitch road is damaged, we put up 2 check-posts in our limits to control vehicular movement. Roads are getting damaged. We are stopping everybody from taking this route," said Andhra police.

(ANI)

Also Read: Cyclone Asani Impact: All flights from Visakhapatnam cancelled