Another cyclone to hit Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh

Another cyclone is reportedly heading towards coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

The warning comes a month after cyclone Gaja hit the two states, claiming 46 lives and causing widespread damage to property and livestock.

.Hyma Rao, deputy officer at Visakhapatnam's Cyclone warning center, told ANI, "Yesterday's well-marked low-pressure area over the southeast Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression and centered about 1330 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam."

"Due to this influence, rain will start from December 15 onwards with a heavy fall at one or two places and strong winds will also start from the same day. Due to these factors, fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea from December 14 onwards," he added.

The Central Government, earlier in the day had issued a pre-cyclone watch for Andhra Pradesh.

"It (cyclone) is very likely to intensify further into a deep depression during next 12 hours and into a cyclonic storm during the subsequent 24 hours. It is very likely to move northwestwards towards Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coast during next 72 hours," said a statement from the Central Government.

"Latest satellite imageries and surface observations indicate that a depression has formed over the southeast Bay of Bengal and lay centred at 0530 hrs IST of today, 13th December, 2018 near latitude 6.5°N and longitude 88.7°E, about 850 km east-southeast of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka), 1170 km southeast of Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and 1350 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh)," it added.