Deep depression over Andaman may intensify into cyclonic storm on Tuesday

The deep depression over the north Andaman Sea is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm on Tuesday and cross the Thandwe coast in Myanmar in the early hours of Wednesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The weather system had intensified from a depression to a deep depression over the north Andaman Sea on Monday and was moving northwards with a speed of 13 kmph. It lay centered about 120 km east-northeast off Mayabundar in the Andaman Islands and 570 km south-southwest off Thandwe coast in Myanmar at 5:30 pm IST.

"It is likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm during the next 12 hours," the IMD said in a bulletin issued at 8:30 pm on Monday.

The weather system will be named Asani, as suggested by Sri Lanka, once it turns into a cyclonic storm.

"The weather system would continue to move nearly northwards away from the Andaman Islands and cross Myanmar coast between latitude 18 degrees North and 19 degrees North around Thandwe (Myanmar) during the early hours of 23rd March," the IMD said.