Andhra coast faces another cyclone threat

The Andhra Pradesh coast is facing threat of another cyclone as the depression over central Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours, the Met Office said Thursday.

According to Visakhapatnam Cyclone Warning Centre, the depression lay centered about 560 km southeast of Visakhapatnam and will move northwestwards and intensify further into a cyclonic storm.

"It would then move west-northwestwards towards the Andhra Pradesh coast. It would weaken gradually into a depression while reaching near the coast on the night of Nov 8," said a bulletin by Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Thursday afternoon.

The Met Office has forecast moderate rainfall at many places across districts of Andhra Pradesh Saturday and Sunday.

Squally wind speed reaching 35-45 kmph gusting to 55 kmph would prevail in and around Andaman Islands during the next 24 hours and along and off Andhra Pradesh coast Saturday and Sunday.

The IMD has advised fishermen not to venture into the sea along and off Andhra Pradesh coast on these two days.

The first warning signal has already been hoisted on all ports along the Andhra coast.

Severe cyclonic storm 'Hudhud' battered north Andhra coast Oct 12, killing 46 people, damaging 9,000 houses and crops over more than 200,000 hectares.

The cyclone with a wind speed of nearly 200 kmph uprooted thousands of trees and damaged electricity and communication networks in the districts of Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam and Vijayanagaram.

Officials said about 21 lakh families were hit by 'Hudhud', which left a trail of destruction in the coastal city of Visakhapatnam.