By cyclonic storm Burevi has moved west northwestwards from southwest Bay of Bengal at a speed of 15 kmph in the last six hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Wednesday.
Named by the Maldives, this is the second cyclone formed in the southwest region of the Bay of Bengal within a week. It is likely to intensify further during the next 12 hours and cross Sri Lanka’s coast by this evening/night. The wind speeds are expected to rise up to 100 kmph.
“It is highly likely to move nearly west-northwestwards thereafter, emerge into Gulf of Mannar and adjoining Comorin area on 3rd December morning,” the weather agency said.
The cyclone is expected to cause widespread rainfall across Sri Lanka over the next two days, with a likelihood of extremely heavy rainfall in isolated areas on Wednesday and Thursday.
And by tomorrow noon, the cyclonic storm would be centered very close to Pamban in Tamil Nadu. It would then move nearly west-southwestwards and cross south Tamil Nadu coast between Kanniyakumari and Pamban around early morning the day after.
A ‘red’ alert for extremely heavy rain has been issued for Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Tenkasi districts in Tamil Nadu and Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts of Kerala for Wednesday and Thursday. Heavy rain will continue over the extreme southern districts of both these states till December 4.
