Severe cyclone ‘Mandous’ heads for TN coast, may weaken marginally before landfall
Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh have been put on high alert and asked to brace for heavy rain
Severe cyclone ‘Mandous’ is heading towards the Tamil Nadu coast as the latest readings on Friday morning indicate the weather pattern laying over southwest Bay of Bengal, moving nearly west-northwestwards about 240 km north-northeast of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka), 240 km east-northeast of Jaffna (Sri Lanka), 240 km east-southeast of Karaikal and about 320 km south-southeast of Chennai.
It is likely to maintain intensity and clock wind speeds of 85-95 kmph, gusting to 105 kmph, for the next few hours and weaken thereafter into a cyclone.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), it will continue to move west-northwestwards and cross north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts between Puducherry and Sriharikota around Mahabalipuram as a cyclone with a maximum sustained wind speed of 65-75 kmph, gusting to 85 kmph, till early hours of Friday.
Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh have been put on high alert and asked to brace for heavy rain.
Also Read:Cyclone Mandous: Red alert in 13 Tamil Nadu districts, heavy rain predicted
The storm surge of about 0.6 mts in height above the astronomical tide is likely to inundate low lying areas of north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry at the time of landfall.
“Most atmospheric and oceanic conditions are favourable for cyclogenesis, including sea surface temperature, ocean heat content and energy, so it will gain intensity for tonight. But on Friday, as it moves closer to the land, Mandous will weaken into a cyclone again. We are also expecting dry winds from land to help weaken it,” said M Mohapatra, director general, IMD.
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