Cyclone 'Vardha' over South-East Bay of Bengal has slowed down in lateral movement but has retained its strength, and is on course to intensify into a severe cyclone later today.

India Met Department (IMD) in an update at 2.30 am this morning said that the cyclone had parked itself at a position 1,020 km east-south-east of Visakhapatnam and 1,120 km east-south-east of Machilipatnam on the Andhra Pradesh coast by midnight last night.

Landfall point

IMD has indicated a landfall point between Nellore and Kakinada, which is a long stretch by itself. Global models indicate a point more to the South of this stretch as the likely point of crossing.

A 'limb' of a warm pool of waters along the East Coast extended this morning from Kavali and Ongole. A cyclone is known to seek out warm waters for lateral movement.

Another 'limb' reached out to Puducherry-Cuddalore on the Tamil Nadu coast. This left a gap filled by cooler waters on the Puducherry-Chennai-Nellore belt.

The expected landfall has now been pushed to afternoon/evening of December 12 (Monday) by when the severe cyclone will have been weakened to a conventional cyclone.

Rain, wind alert

This means that wind speed associated with 'Vardha' would decelerate from a peak of 110- to 120 km/hr to 70- to 80 km/hr gusting to 90 km/hr at the time of landfall.

Light to moderate rainfall with isolated heavy falls is likely to commence over Coastal Andhra Pradesh from Sunday evening, the IMD said.

Squally winds with speed reaching 40-50 km/hr gusting to 60 km/hr would prevail along and off the coast from the same evening. Sea condition would be 'rough' to 'very rough.'

Fishermen are advised not to venture into sea along and off the Andhra Pradesh coast from tomorrow onwards.

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