First cyclone this year that has put rescue teams on alert!
The Andaman & Nicobar Islands are likely to see heavy rain amid over Cyclone Asani - which is set to form over the Andaman sea on Monday with rescue teams deployed. Cyclone Asani which is the first cyclone of this year is set to develop in the Bay of Bengal on Monday, March 21. The cyclone is likely to intensify into a deep depression in a few hours, the weather agency said.
Cyclone Asani's name was suggested by Sri Lanka. According to the world Meteorological organization, it is mandatory to name tropical cyclones because there can be numerous systems operating in a particular zone. The names of cyclones in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific region are allotted in alphabetical order.
This is the first cyclone this year that put rescue teams on alert. However, no landfall point is mentioned. Strong winds with speed reaching 55-65 km per hour are likely to cause damage and disruption apart from rain.
In a late night tweet, the weather office said the depression over the Andaman Sea, 250 km north - northeast of Nicobar Islands and 80 km south - southeast of Port Blair, is set to move northwards along the islands, and Intensify "into a deep depression in the next 12 hours".
Several teams of NDRF ( National Disaster Response Force ) have been deployed in Port Blair, the government has said. Army and Navy are also standby.
The Andaman & Nicobar Islands are set to experience strong winds with speed reaching 55-65 km per hour, gusting to 75 km per hour, the IMD ( India Meteorological Department ) has said.
"Climatologically March is not cyclone season. It is April and May. The ocean is cooler in March and solar isolation is not very high. In March, westerly systems are predominant in the northern parts of the country and easterly waves are predominant over the Peninsular region," an IMD official had said.
No landfall point has been mentioned. "We have not mentioned or predicated any landfall point. It will move along and off Andaman and Nicobar Islands and then over the east - central Bay of Bengal and along and off the Myanmar coast and gradually reduce and becoming squally winds speed reaching 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph over the same region from Tuesday evening. When moving along and off Andaman and Nicobar it is likely to bring extremely heavy rains and strong winds to the region," a senior IMD scientist said.
Tourist activities have been suspended in the areas that are likely to bear the impact. Fisherman have been advised not to venture along and off the islands on Monday and Tuesday. And Partial distribution of power lines, flooding of roads, "localized landslides or mudslides" are on the impact list.
Stay in safe areas and avoid staying in vulnerable structures.
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