Cyclone Senyar: IMD warns Chennai, Puducherry as storm likely to intensify

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for Chennai and Puducherry as Cyclone Senyar is expected to get stronger in the coming days. The weather office also forecasted heavy rain for several coastal areas.

 

In an update on X on Thursday, the IMD said Cyclonic Storm Senyar is currently active over the Strait of Malacca. It added that the Andaman & Nicobar Islands may see heavy to very heavy rain on November 26 and 27, and more heavy rain on November 28 and 29.

Where is Cyclone Senyar now?

According to the IMD, yesterday’s depression over the Strait of Malacca moved west and strengthened into a deep depression. Later, it further intensified into Cyclone Senyar. As of Thursday morning, the weather system over the southwest Bay of Bengal and nearby Sri Lanka became stronger. The depression moved north-northwest at about 8 km per hour in the last six hours and has now intensified into a deep depression.

 

At 5:30 am IST on November 27, it was located near 6.3°N and 82.4°E, roughly 150 km east of Hambantota (Sri Lanka) and 170 km south-southeast of Batticaloa (Sri Lanka), the weather department said.

 

The IMD says the system will keep moving north-northwest across the Bay of Bengal and Sri Lanka and is likely to strengthen into a cyclonic storm within the next 12 hours. After that, it will continue moving in the same direction toward North Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and south Andhra Pradesh over the next two days.

Cyclone Senyar: Several states to receive heavy rainfall

The weather department on Wednesday said that under the influence of Cyclonic storm Senyar, isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely over the Andaman & Nicobar Islands on November 26 and 27 and isolated heavy rainfall on November 28 and 29.

 

"Thunderstorm with lightning very likely over Tamil Nadu during November 26-30, Kerala and Mahe on November 26-27, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam and Rayalaseema on November 29-30 and over Andaman & Nicobar Islands with gusty wind speeds reaching 40-50 kmph on November 29 and 50-60 kmph during November 26-28," it said. 

Rough sea conditions ahead

The IMD warned of very rough to high sea conditions in parts of the South Andaman Sea, Southwest and Southeast Bay of Bengal, and the coasts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Sri Lanka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Lakshadweep, and the Maldives. Sea conditions will be risky from November 26-30, depending on the region, the IMD warned.

Fishermen warned to stay away from sea

The weather department advised complete suspension of fishing near Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Nicobar Islands and the South Andaman Sea till November 28.

 

Those already at sea near Andhra Pradesh have been told to return by November 27. "The fishermen along and off the South Andhra Pradesh coast should return to the coast before November 27," IMD warned.

 

Fishermen should also not venture into:

• Southeast Bay of Bengal
• Southwest Bay of Bengal, Gulf of Mannar, Comorin area, Tamil Nadu-Puducherry-Sri Lanka coasts
• Westcentral Bay of Bengal and Andhra Pradesh coast
• Southeast Arabian Sea, Lakshadweep, Maldives, Kerala coast