Storm to cross coast near Kakinada, heavy rain forecast for

Coastal Andhra Pradesh and north Tamil Nadu are likely to experience rainfall in the next two days with a deep depression set to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm and make a landfall between Ongole and Kakinada in the neighbouring state on Monday.

Squally winds, with a speed of 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph is likely off Andhra Pradesh, north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts from Saturday, a Met bulletin said.

The deep depression over southeast Bay of Bengal moved further west-northwestwards and lay centred on Saturday morning over southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal.

It lay about 690 km southeast of here, 890 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh and 440 km east-northeast of Trincomalee in Sri Lanka.

"It is very likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours (between Saturday and Sunday) and into a severe cyclonic storm in subsequent 24 hours (between Sunday and Monday morning)," it said.

The system is very likely to move north-northwestwards further and cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Ongole and Kakinada during December 17 afternoon.

In view of the system, rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy showers at a few places is very likely over coastal Andhra Pradesh on December 16 and 17.

"Extremely heavy falls at isolated places also likely over north coastal Andhra Pradesh on 17 December."