Thereafter, Cyclone Asani is very likely to turn north-northeastwards and move towards northwest Bay of Bengal off north Andhra and Odisha coasts.
Today the effect of Cyclone Asani will be seen in 17 states across the country. There is a possibility of Asani hitting the Andhra and Orissa coast today. After which the cyclone will take a more severe form. The India Meteorological Department (IMD Alert) has predicted that the severe cyclone Asani will make its closest approach to the east coast of India near Andhra Pradesh and Odisha on Tuesday and will soon return to the land. The cyclone is very likely to move almost northwestwards by Monday night and reach west-central Bay of Bengal, north Andhra Pradesh coast and adjoining Odisha coast.
After this, it is likely to turn north-northeastwards and move away from the coasts of North Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. According to the IMD Alert, due to Cyclone Asani, a rain alert has been issued in 17 states. At the same time, heatwave warnings have been given in five states. Heavy rain alert has been issued in 17 states till May 13. IMD Alert has expressed apprehension that Severe Cyclonic Storm Asani will not make landfall in Andhra Pradesh coast as it is likely to weaken into a cyclonic storm in the next 24 hours, IMD has warned of heavy rainfall at some places over North Coastal Andhra for the next two days. There is a warning of very heavy rain.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), on Sunday, Cyclone ‘Aasani’ had intensified into a strong cyclonic storm over southeast Bay of Bengal, about 610 km northwest of Car Nicobar (Nicobar Islands). The cyclonic storm is expected to move northwestwards by the evening of May 10, reaching west-central and neighboring northwest Bay of Bengal off north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts. Thereafter, the weather forecast agency predicted that it will turn northeast and move towards northwest Bay of Bengal, off Odisha coast.
Severe cyclonic storm ‘Aasani’ over west central and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 5 kmph during the last six hours and 300 km south-southwest of Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh). West-central to the east, 330 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 510 km south-southwest of Gopalpur (Odisha) and 590 km south-southwest of Puri (Odisha) and adjoining south-west Bengal focused on the Gulf of
Asani, which lay centered about 400 km southeast of Visakhapatnam and 590 km south of Puri (Odisha) on Monday evening, is moving northwestwards at a speed of 16 kmph. It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and move north-west Bay of Bengal off Odisha coast by Tuesday before weakening into a cyclonic storm over the next 24 hours, taking north-northeast-ward.
From the evening of May 10, IMD has predicted fair to moderate rainfall with isolated heavy rainfall over Coastal Odisha and adjoining parts of North Coastal Andhra Pradesh. The Meteorological Office has predicted moderate to heavy rains along and off Odisha and north Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal coasts on May 11.
It is predicted that the storm will again become a deep depression when it reaches south of Puri by the evening of May 11. It will weaken from a cyclonic storm into a deep depression. An IMD official said, “We do not expect very strong winds, probably 40-60 km/h. The IMD has warned that winds are very likely to occur over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands along the Bay of Bengal.
The IMD predicted that the storm will not hit Andhra Pradesh or Odisha on Saturday. The weather service said in a daily report that it (cyclone) is very likely to turn north-northeastwards and move into northwest Bay of Bengal off Odisha coast. Cyclone Asani, moving 590 km south-southwest of Puri in Odisha with a speed of 5 kmph, is very likely to move northwestwards by tonight and reach north Andhra coast and adjoining Odisha coast.
Thereafter, Cyclone Asani is very likely to turn north-northeastwards and move towards northwest Bay of Bengal off north Andhra and Odisha coasts. It is unlikely to make landfall, and is likely to weaken into a cyclonic storm in the next 24 hours. Due to the weather system, light to moderate rain is very likely at some places and very heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places are very likely over Coastal Andhra. Heavy rain is likely at isolated places over Coastal Odisha from this evening.
Odisha and Andhra Pradesh have issued warnings for their coastal areas in view of the possibility of heavy rains due to the cyclonic storm. The Odisha government has activated 175 fire units and canceled the leave of the officers. From May 10 to 12, Odisha is likely to receive moderate to heavy rainfall, while West Bengal is likely to receive heavy rains on May 11 and 12.
Heavy rain (64.4 mm to 115.5 mm) is expected on Tuesday and Wednesday, putting Odisha on high alert. As a result of the Bay of Bengal system, thunderstorms, lightning and light rain are very likely over Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Sikkim till May 12. In West Bengal, disaster management teams, police and KMC staff have been instructed to remain alert.
By Monday evening, the storm had reached a radius of 600 km along the Odisha and Andhra Pradesh coasts. With gusts between 12 kmph and 25 kmph, the storm maintained its track in a northwest direction. Ganjam, Puri, Gajapati, Bhadrak districts of Odisha recorded light to moderate intensity rain (less than 64 mm of rain in 24 hours) on Monday.
As per IMD’s observation at 5.30 pm, Cyclone Asani was located about 390 km southeast of Kakinada and 390 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, 510 km south of Gopalpur and 580 km south of Puri in Odisha. According to the Meteorological Department, after turning to the Asani coast, it will weaken into a ‘cyclone’ category from Tuesday night and will remain the same on Wednesday. The IMD has predicted light to moderate rain with light to moderate intensity at isolated places over Visakhapatnam, Puri, Ganjam, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts in the next three days.
