IMD Issues Cyclone Alert for Lakshadweep and Kerala Coast

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
A cyclone alert has been issued for Lakshadweep and Kerala Coast as a deep depression closed in to 170 km south-east of Kanyakumari at 5.30 am this morning, spinning at just below cyclone status.
Lakshadweep is an archipelago of 12 atolls, three reefs and five submerged banks lying 200 to 400 km to the West of the South-West coast (Kerala) of India.
The main islands are Kavaratti, Agatti, Minicoy and Amini. Agatti has an airport with direct flights from Kochi in Central Kerala.
This could be the first time in recent memory that the archipelago has come to be threatened by a full-blooded cyclone racing in from the Sri Lanka coast to the east-south-east.
An India Met Department (IMD) warning said that the prospective cyclonic storm would move west-north-west into East Central Arabian Sea initially. The deep depression ravaged the Kanyakumari-Nagercoil region as high winds and heavy rain lashed the twin cities on peninsular tip that fell on its path.
IMD had initially issued a tropical cyclone formation alert to the West of Sri Lanka and to the South of Kanyakumari at the tip of peninsular India. This was after yesterday’s depression intensified into a deep depression in the small hours of this morning and lay 185 km north-west of Galle (Sri Lanka) and 210 km south-south-east of Kanyakumari.
Many parts of Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu have been witnessing rains from about last 24 hours and it is predicted that these rains are likely to continue over the states throughout the remaining days of the month. In fact, the states of Kerala and Karnataka have witnessed rains ranging from light and moderate rain and thundershowers. Since last few days, most districts of these coastal states are observing the pre-Monsoon showers of varying intensity.
As we are inching closer to the onset of Southwest Monsoon over eastern southern parts of Kerala, southwesterly winds are gradually expected to strengthen along the coast. The pre-Monsoon showers are expected to strengthen and Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu may continue to receive rainfall at many places up till next two to three days and then gradually decrease over Interior parts of Kerala and Karnataka including Bengaluru.
According to Skymet Weather, the formation of a cyclonic circulation is over South Arabian Sea. Due to this, weather conditions will remain favorable for rain and thundershower activities over Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for another 24-48 hours as well. In fact, light rainfall activities are also expected over Lakshadweep and South Arabian Sea.
In wake of this cyclonic circulation, moist winds from the Arabian Sea are increasing the moisture levels over these areas which have led to the intensification of rain and thundershowers activities over these regions in the last 24 hours and will continue for next 2-3 days.