Five days of thunderstorms forecast for parts of Andhra Pradesh

Amaravati: The India Meteorological Department on Wednesday predicted five days of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning in parts of Andhra Pradesh from October 23.

It forecast thunderstorms in isolated parts of North Coastal Andhra Pradesh (NCAP) and Yanam between October 23 and 27.

"Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over NCAP and Yanam," said the Met Department in a release, forecasting weather for October 25.

Further, it predicted thunderstorms accompanied with lightning in parts of Rayalaseema on October 23 and 24.

According to the Met Department, the cyclonic storm 'Dana' over east central Bay of Bengal moved northwestwards and lay over the same region, about 520 km southeast of Paradip in Odisha.

"It is very likely to move northwestwards and intensify into a severe cyclonic storm over northwest Bay of Bengal by early morning of October 24," it said.

The weather system is likely to cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island, close to Bhitarkanika and Dhamara in the intervening night of October 24 and 25 as a severe Cyclonic Storm, with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph and gusting up to 120 kmph.

Further, it observed that lower tropospheric north westerly and northerly winds will prevail over the southern state and Yanam.

Andhra Pradesh Disaster Management Authority (APDMA) managing director R Kurmanadh advised fishermen against venturing into the sea, and also cautioned people to be alert.

Meanwhile, the Vijayawada Division of the South Central Railway (SCR) zone set up help desks at a string of railway stations in view of the Dana cyclone to assist passengers, adding that more than 50 trains were cancelled over the East Coast Railway zone.

Inputs from PTI