THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The deep depression formed low over the South Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm on Tuesday night. The cyclone will cross the Sri Lanka coast on Wednesday and reach Kanyakumari by Thursday morning.
Kerala is keeping its fingers crossed as the path of the cyclone would be known exactly tonight. South Kerala is expected to bear the brunt of the weather system in the form of extreme heavy rainfall, strong wind and rough sea conditions, although the cyclone is expected to make landfall on the south Tamil Nadu coast.
Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan said the state is prepared to take on the cyclone and has issued instructions to identify people living in vulnerable areas and shift them to relief camps if needed.
Indian Meteorological Department director K Santhosh said the deep depression over southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal had been moving westwards with a speed of 11 kmph during the past six hours and now lay centred about 500 km east-southeast of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka) and 900 km east-southeast of Kanyakumari.
After intensifying into a cyclonic storm tonight, it is very likely to move west-northwestwards and cross the Sri Lanka coast close to Trincomalee during the evening or night of Wednesday. It is also very likely to move nearly westwards thereafter and emerge into the Gulf of Mannar and adjoining Comorin area on Thursday morning and then move westward towards the south Tamil Nadu coast.
Kerala, especially the southern districts, will receive heavy rainfall on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday due to the influence of the weather system. Orange alert has been sounded in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Idukki on Wednesday warning of very heavy rains. Red alert has been sounded in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha on Thursday and orange alert from Thiruvananthapuram to Idukki on Friday. The coastal areas of the state are also expected to witness strong winds reaching 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph during these days.