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Cyclone Fani to intensify into ‘very severe cyclonic storm’ as it approaches Tamil Nadu

The India Met Department (IMD) said that the cyclone is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm during Sunday and into a very severe cyclonic storm by Monday.

Cyclone Fani to intensify into ‘very severe cyclonic storm’ as it approaches Tamil Nadu

(Photo: Twitter/@Indiametdept)

Cyclone Fani, which is set to hit coastal Tamil Nadu by 30 April, will intensify into a “very severe cyclonic storm” as it approaches southern India.

The India Met Department (IMD) said that the cyclone is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm during Sunday and into a very severe cyclonic storm by Monday.

A very severe cyclonic storm means that Fani will reach the status of ‘category three’ storm on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale.

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The weather department had issued a red alert for Kerala and Tamil Nadu two days ago over the approaching cyclone in Bay of Bengal.

Fishermen have already been asked not to venture into sea till further notice. Those already at sea have been told to return immediately.

Post midnight on Sunday, the Met Department tweeted that the cyclone is 1110 km southeast of Chennai.

“CS ‘FANI’ over SE BoB lay centred at 2330 hrs IST of 27th April, 2019 about 1110 km SE of Chennai . It is very likely to intensify into a Severe Cyclonic Storm during next 12 hours. It is very likely to move northwestwards till 30th & thereafter recurve northeastwards gradually,” the tweet read.

 

According to the Met department, the cyclone will slowly change direction after 1 May moving north and north-eastward. It is unlikely to cross Tamil Nadu coast and south Andhra coast.

The cyclone began formation from a low pressure region in the south east of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, which intensified into a depression.

According to IMD, the cyclone is expected to hit Tamil Nadu at speeds of over 100 kmph.

As the cyclone approached, clouds covered coastal regions of Tamil Nadu on Sunday bringing temperatures down.

The met office has forecast light to moderate rainfall in coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala and rainfall at isolated places in South Coastal Andhra Pradesh on 28 April.

Rainfall at most places with heavy falls at isolated places is likely in all three states on 29 April.

Last year in November, Cyclone Ockhi had hit parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. The cyclone killed over 80 fishermen in Kerala. Around 140 people were reported missing.

In November 2018, Cyclone Gaja made landfall in Nagapattinam’s Vedaranyam block and killed around 46 people.

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