Hyderabad, December 16: The coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu will experience heavy rainfall for the next two days as a deep depression is set to intensify into Cyclone 'Phethai'. The cyclonic storm is likely to make landfall in Andhra Pradesh and a landfall between Ongole and Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh on Monday. In view of the system, rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy showers at a few places is very likely over coastal Andhra Pradesh on 16 and 17 December. Cyclone Alert Issued for Andhra Pradesh, Heavy Rainfall to Lash Tamil Nadu, Puducherry in the Next 24 Hours.

The weather office informed that extremely heavy falls at isolated places also likely over north coastal Andhra Pradesh on December 17. Moreover, rainfall at many places with isolated heavy rain over north Tamil Nadu is likely on December 16.

In the wake of the changing weather conditions, squally winds, with a speed of 45-55 kilometres per hour gusting to 65 kilometres per hour is likely off Andhra Pradesh, north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts from Saturday. Reports inform that the cyclonic storm lay about 690 kilometres southeast of here, 890 kilometres south-southeast of Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh and 440 kilometres east-northeast of Trincomalee in Sri Lanka. Cyclonic Storm LUBAN Over Arabian Sea; Heavy Rain Warning in West Bengal, Assam And Other Northeastern States. 

According to IMD, the deep depression over southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 17 kmph and intensified into a Cyclonic storm Phethai on Sunday. It's very likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during next 24 hours.

In November, thousands were evacuated as Cyclone Gaja crossed the Tamil Nadu coast between Nagapattinam and nearby Vedaranniyam uprooting trees and destroying houses in its path, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had informed. Reports inform that over 80,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas as severe cyclonic storm 'Gaja' crossed the coast, bringing with it heavy rains in coastal regions.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 16, 2018 09:18 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).