ANI By

CHENNAI: Low pressure area in the Bay of Bengal has intensified into a well marked depression bringing copious rainfall causing inundation of many low lying areas.

LATEST UPDATE:

According to the latest update issued by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) at 1200 noon today, "The deep depression over southwest Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 18 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centred at 0830 hours IST of today, the 9th November 2015 over southwest Bay of Bengal near latitude 11.6°N and longitude 80.3°E, about 60 km east-southeast of Puducherry and 150 km southeast of Chennai. It would move west-northwestwards and cross north Tamil Nadu coast to the south of Puducherry, close to Cuddalore around noon of today, the 9 th November.

The latest updates by IMD does not mention cyclonic formation, instead it states, "Rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and isolated extremely heavy falls (25 cm or more) would occur over north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry during next 24 hours. Read the latest update by IMD here.

Deputy Director of the Meteorological Department, S. R. Ramanan, told ANI that the depression in the Bay of Bengal is 110 kilometres away from land. It is expected to make landfall between 12 to 2:30 p.m. close to

Puducherry.

“In the next 12 hours, we expect it to become a deep depression. It may possibly result in a cyclone storm later,” he added. The depression is 300 km south-east from Puducherry coast. It is likely to move north-west. Most parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are experiencing heavy rain since Sunday.

According to the press release issued by Indian Meteorological Department on November 8, states, "Rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and isolated extremely heavy falls (25 cm or more) would occur over north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry during next 24 hours and north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry during subsequent 24 hours."

The release alsomentions that rainfall at many places with isolated heavy falls would occur over south and north interior Tamil Nadu during next 24 hours and over south Tamil Nadu, Rayalseema, south coastal Andhra Pradesh, south interior Karnataka and Kerala during subsequent 24 hours. Read the IMD press release here.

IMD has advised fishermen not to venture into sea along and off north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining Pudukkottai and Ramanathapuram districts of south Tamil Nadu coasts during next 48 hours.

Normal life has been affected due to intermittent heavy to very heavy rainfall in most parts of coastal districts since Sunday. Three people have lost their lives so far.

(With inputs from IMD website)