Cyclone Michaung To Make Landfall Near Andhra Coast On Dec 5; Heavy Rain Alert Issued, Fishermen Warned

Cyclone Michaung:  A looming cyclone, 'Michaung,' has the Indian Meteorological Department on high alert. The depression in the Southwest Bay of Bengal is rapidly gaining strength, inching west-northwestwards at 9 kmph. Positioned at 10.3°N and 85.3°E, it's 630 km east-southeast of Puducherry as of 11 pm on December 1.

The storm, expected to intensify into a Deep Depression within 12 hours, will likely transform into Cyclonic Storm 'Michaung' by December 3. The forecast charts its course towards the south Andhra Pradesh and north Tamil Nadu coasts by December 4, with a projected landfall between Nellore and Machilipatnam on December 5. Anticipated winds of 80-90 kmph, gusting up to 100 kmph, paint a grim picture.

Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister, MK Stalin, convened a high-level meeting with district collectors to address the coming crisis. The CM instructed officials to brace for heavy rainfall over the next 2-3 days, he issued evacuation orders for vulnerable areas. The National Crisis Management Committee, led by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, took stock of state and central preparedness for Cyclone 'Michaung.'

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These areas likely to see rainfall

The cyclonic storm Michaung will induce rainfall in several areas of Southern and Eastern India.

- December 2:
- Light to moderate rainfall is forecasted at most places in North coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
- Isolated heavy rainfall expected.

- December 3:
- Rainfall intensity to increase.
- Most places to experience rain, with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places.
- Isolated extremely heavy rainfall anticipated.

- December 4:
- Rainfall expected at most places.
- Heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated locations.

- December 5:
- Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall likely.
- Subsequent decrease in rainfall.

- Coastal Andhra Pradesh:
- December 3:
- Light to moderate rainfall at most places.
- Escalating to heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places.
- Extremely heavy rainfall at isolated locations.

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- December 4:
- Rainfall at most places.
- Extremely heavy rainfall in isolated areas.

- December 5:
- Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall over south coastal Andhra Pradesh.
- Heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places.
- Extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places over north coastal Andhra Pradesh.

- Odisha Rainfall Forecast:
- December 4:
- Light to moderate rainfall at most places.
- Isolated heavy rainfall over south Coastal and adjoining south Interior Odisha.

- December 5:
- Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall predicted over the same region.

Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) also issued a warning that Tamil Nadu coastal areas might experience rougher sea conditions than usual. This warning came as the Velankanni Beach in Nagapattinam district witnessed an increase in shore breadth as the sea receded 100 meters. 'Cyclone warning cage-No-1' has also been hoisted in five ports, including Nagapattinam port.