A ‘red message’ was in effect for the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coast as severe cyclone ‘Gaja’ readied to wind down as a conventional cyclone over the Pamban-Cuddalore stretch near Nagapattinam on late Thursday evening.
The India Met Department (IMD) had forecast heavy to very heavy rain at a few places on the coast with extremely heavy rain at isolated places likely over the South Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coast the same day.
Heavy to very heavy rain was also forecast at isolated places over North Tamil Nadu and heavy at isolated places over Kerala, Rayalaseema and South Coastal Andhra Pradesh.
Outlook
As for Friday, forecasts favoured heavy rain at a few places with very heavy rain at isolated places over interior Tamil Nadu; heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places over Kerala and heavy at isolated places over South Interior Karnataka.
After crossing the coast, a remnant of ‘Gaja’ could dart across the South Peninsula and set up a low-pressure area over the South-East Arabian Sea by Saturday. The IMD expected it to intensify but move away from the Kerala coast.
Gale winds with speeds of up to 90 km/hr gusting to 100 km/hr were expected to buffet the central parts of the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts associated with the landfall.
On Friday, winds reaching speeds of up to 40 km/hr gusting to 50 km/hr are likely over interior Tamil Nadu, along and off the Kerala coast, the Comorin, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk straits. A similar warning is valid for the South-East Arabian Sea and along and off the Kerala coast on Saturday.
Fresh action likely
It could be ‘rough’ to ‘very rough’ (waves rising to 8-20 ft) along and off the Tamil Nadu-South Andhra Pradesh coasts while being ‘high’ (20- to 30 ft) along and off the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts from Thursday afternoon.
Meanwhile, indications are that the South-West Bay off the coast of Sri Lanka and adjoining South Tamil Nadu coast would witness fresh traction between November 19 and 23, bringing a fresh round of rainfall.
A weather tracker of the US National Weather Services seemed to suggest a ‘low’ popping up on the trail of erstwhile severe cyclone ‘Gaja’ over the South-Central Bay and making a move west-north-west towards Lanka-South Tamil Nadu.
It has also put under watch a cyclonic circulation over the North-West Pacific and adjoining South China Sea, seeking to enter the South-East Bay and adjoining Andaman Sea to generate a likely ‘low’ later next week.