The North-East monsoon received a boost on Tuesday with a low-pressure area over South-West Bay of Bengal off Sri Lanka springing back to life, and signs of a depression brewing over South Andaman Sea.
The India Met Department (IMD) has said that the depression would spin up from a trough over the Malay Peninsula, just beyond India’s territorial waters.
Its evolution first as a low-pressure area and later a depression would take place over the next three days. It is expected to set a west-north-westerly course, eyeing the Tamil Nadu-South Coastal Andhra Pradesh coast.
But the western disturbance activity over North-West India could smother the depression, and cause the interactive rain to spread out over Central India, according to the US Climate Prediction Centre.
The IMD has said the depression could weaken into a ‘low’ by the time it reaches the West-Central Bay of Bengal off the Andhra Pradesh over the next five days.
It has warned of strong winds reaching speeds of up to 50 km/hr and gusting to 60 km/hr around Andaman & Nicobar Islands for three days from Thursday in view of the depression.
Heavy rain alert Heavy to very rain would lash the islands on these days. Fishermen have been advised not to venture out, or exercise caution if taking to the waters during these days.
The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts sees the ‘low’ over South-West Bay of Bengal and adjoining Sri Lanka crossing Sri Lanka, entering the Gulf of Mannar and adjoining Lakshadweep Sea.
The slow-moving system could intensify a bit but is expected to start weakening by Friday/Saturday as the incoming ‘low’ from the Malay Peninsula intensifies into a depression over the Bay and starts its journey towards the East Coast of India.
The US Climate Prediction Centre has forecast heavy rain along the Tamil Nadu coast and around the peninsular tip (southern parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu) as this system crosses over.