The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Kerala and Tamil Nadu over approaching Cyclone Fani in Bay of Bengal.
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority has asked fishermen not to venture into sea till further notice.
According to IMD, the low pressure region in the south east of the Indonesian island of Sumatra is likely to intensify into a depression.
At 8.30 am, the depression was 1140 southeast of Sri Lanka’s Trincomalee.
The IMD predicts that by 28 April, the depression will take the form of a cyclonic storm. It will continue moving northwestwards till it hits Tamil Nadu on 30 April at speeds of around 100 kmph.
“It is very likely to intensify further into a deep depression during next 24 hours and into a Cyclonic Storm during the subsequent 12 hours. It is very likely to move northwestwards off Sri Lanka coast during the next 96 hours and reach north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coasts on 30 April evening,” the IMD said in a statement.
Rainfall as a result of the cyclone has been predicted at most places in coastal southern India, including Puducherry.
Rains will also hit southern parts of Andhra Pradesh.
Last year in November, Cyclone Ockhi had hit parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. The cyclone killed over 80 fishermen in Kerala. Around 140 people were reported missing.
In November 2018, Cyclone Gaja made landfall in Nagapattinam’s Vedaranyam block and killed around 46 people.