Deep depression in Bay of Bengal moves closer to Chennai by 10 km in 3 hours

CHENNAI: The deep depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal dropped its pace of progress marginally and moved around 10 km in three hours from 8.30 am to 11.30 am on Sunday (October 26 morning).

According to the India Meteorological Department, it is lying centred about 770 km east-southeast of Chennai as per the reading at 11.30 am.

It was moving at a speed of six km per hour as per the morning bulletin, but the speed reduced to five km per hour by 11.30 am. It is now about 620 km west of Port Blair, 770 km east-southeast of Chennai, 820 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam, 810 km southeast of Kakinada, and 920 km south-southeast of Gopalpur in Odisha, it said.

It is likely to move nearly west-northwestwards, intensify further into a cyclonic storm over the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal during the next 12 hours. Thereafter, it is likely to move northwestwards, then north-northwestwards before intensifying into a severe cyclonic storm by Tuesday (October 28) morning.

Continuing to move further north-northwestwards, it is very likely to cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada during evening/night of October 28 as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph.