A.P. braces for heavy rainfall as Michaung intensifies

A.P. braces for heavy rainfall as Michaung intensifies

Context 

Cyclone Michaung has accelerated across the southwest Bay of Bengal and is expected to make landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Machilipatnam on Tuesday morning as a severe cyclonic storm, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 90 kmph to 100 kmph, gusting to 110 kmph, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Cyclone Michaung

  • Formation of a Cyclone:
      • The deep depression that has formed over the Southwest Bay of Bengal has intensified into Cyclonic Storm “MICHAUNG” (pronounced MIGJAUM).
  • Movement and current location:
      • The cyclonic storm was located near Latitude 11.5°N and Longitude 82.4°E at 0830 hours IST on December 3rd, 2023.
      • It has been moving northwestward at a speed of 5 kilometres per hour for the past 6 hours.
      • The current location is approximately 290 kilometres east-southeast of Puducherry, 290 kilometres southeast of Chennai, 420 kilometres southeast of Nellore, 530 kilometres south-southeast of Bapatla, and 530 kilometres south-southeast of Machilipatnam.
  • Intensification and projected path:
      • The cyclonic storm is projected to move northwestwards, intensify further, and approach the West-central Bay of Bengal off the coastlines of south Andhra Pradesh and bordering north Tamil Nadu by the morning of December 4thx`,2023
  • Alerts and their Implications:
      • A red alert has been issued for areas of Tamil Nadu, including the districts of Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, and Chengalpattu.
      • Andhra Pradesh’s coastal areas, including Nellore, Tirupati, Prakasam, Bapatla, Guntur, Krishna, and West Godavari, are predicted to be inundated by a storm surge.
  • Preventive Actions:
    • To assess readiness, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy.
    • Disaster response teams are being deployed, and relief camps are being established.
    • Fishermen have been urged to keep away from the water, and precautions have been taken to protect the paddy harvest.