Red alert for 5 Andhra districts due to low pressure area in Bay of Bengal

Visakhapatnam, Aug 17 (IANS) The Visakhapatnam Cyclone Warning Centre has issued a red alert for five Andhra Pradesh districts as extremely heavy rainfall is likely on Monday under the impact of a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal.

A low-pressure area formed over west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal off the north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha coasts is likely to move west–northwestwards and concentrate into a depression during the next 24 hours, the cyclone warning centre said, adding that it is likely to cross the south Odisha-north Andhra Pradesh coasts around the forenoon of Monday.

The alert has been sounded for Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Kakinada, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema, Eluru, and West Godavari districts.

According to the centre, extremely heavy rainfall is likely to occur at one or two places over Visakhapatnam, Sri Alluri Sitharama Raju, Anakapalli, Kakinada, East Godavari, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema, Eluru, West Godavari, NTR, and Guntur districts of coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam.

Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur at one or two places over Srikakulam, Parvathipuram Manyam, Vizianagaram, Krishna, Palnadu, Bapatla, and Prakasam districts of coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam.

Heavy rainfall is likely to occur at one or two places over SPSR-Nellore and Tirupathi districts of coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam.

Squally weather with wind speed reaching 45-55 kmph, gusting to 65 kmph, is likely to prevail along and off the Andhra Pradesh coast and Yanam.

The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority's (APSDMA) Managing Director Prakhar Jain has advised people to remain alert. He said people in low-lying areas should take precautionary measures.

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea areas for the next five days.

Local cautionary signal number–III (LC–III) to be kept hoisted at Visakhapatnam, Gangavaram, Kakinada, Machilipatnam, Nizamapatnam and Krishnapatnam ports. The Cyclone Warning Centre has sent an informative message to Kalingapatnam, Bheemunipatnam, and Vadarevu ports.

Partial reduction in visibility, slippery roads, major disruption in traffic flow, moderate waterlogging in parts of low-lying areas and adjacent to river banks, possibility of tree falling and loosening of rocks due to persistent rains, leading to the possibility of minor landslides/mudslides in elevated hilly areas, are likely impacts in the coastal region, it was warned.

--IANS

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