Cyclone Phethai may cross Andhra coast on Monday afternoon, Chennai may get heavy rain

CHENNAI: A weather system over the Bay of Bengal is likely to become a severe cyclonic storm in two days and cross the

Andhra Pradesh coast

-- between Ongole and Kakinada -- on Monday afternoon, the India Meteorological Department forecast on Friday.



Weathermen said at present the system has become a deep depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal about 930km southeast of Chennai and 1090km southeast of Machilipatnam.

"It is very likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours and a severe cyclonic storm in subsequent 24 hours," said IMD's regional weather inference.

After the system intensified into a deep depression on Thursday evening, the weather system had moved north-northwestwards at a speed of 12kmph in six hours, meteorologists observed.

On Thursday, regional meteorological centre in Chennai said the system might bring rainfall to north coastal Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, starting Saturday.

Weather experts have said the system may intensify when it nears the coast and is likely approach Chennai coast before it moves up north to make landfall in Andhra Pradesh.
Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.