Cyclone ‘Fani’ is very likely to intensify into a “severe cyclonic storm” by noon on Monday and further soar into a “very severe cyclonic storm” by Tuesday morning, the IMD said on Monday, the All India Radio reported.
The IMD said ‘Fani’ currently lay over 910 kilometres south-east of Tamil Nadu’s Chennai and 1090 km from Andhra Pradesh’s Machilipattinam.
The system will not make landfall in Tamil Nadu, but may bring light rain in some northern parts, it said. The Andhra coastline will also remain unaffected, the Times of India reported.
Heavy rain fall at isolated places is very likely over Kerala on 29 and 30 April.
Earlier, the cyclone was expected to cause heavy rains in northern Tamil Nadu, including Chennai.
The Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai said cyclone threat to Tamil Nadu has abated. “There is no chance of Fani crossing the Tamil Nadu coast,” Director of Area Cyclone Warning Centre S Balachandran told reporters in Chennai.
Light to moderate rainfall are very likely at a few places over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and south coastal Odisha on 2 May. It is likely to increase in intensity with heavy rainfall over coastal Odisha from 3 May.
“It is very likely to become squally with wind speed reaching 50-60 kmph and gusting to 70 kmph from morning of April 30 along north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh coasts. Strong wind with speed reaching 30-40 kmph and gusting to 50 kmph are likely to commence along and off Kerala coast from evening of 28 April,” IMD’s Sunday bulletin had said.
Sea conditions are expected to be rough to very rough along and off Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coasts from 29 April to 1 May.
The sea conditions will be very rough along and off the north Andhra Pradesh coast from 1-3 May and along off Odisha coast from 2 May onwards.
The IMD has also advised fishermen along the coasts of Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry not to venture into the sea.
Those in the deep sea were advised to return to the coast, the IMD added.
(With PTI inputs)