New Delhi: India Metrological Department (IMD) on Friday informed that a well-marked low pressure area lying over Lakshadweep and adjoining southeast Arabian Sea has moved east-northeastwards and concentrated into a depression.
It is very likely to intensify into a deep depression during the next 12 hours and into a cyclonic storm during the succeeding 12 hours, IMD predicted.
This depression will intensify further and move initially north-northeastwards till Friday evening and then move north-northwestwards, reaching the Gujarat coast by morning May 18.
Also read: Kerala braces for heavy showers from Cyclone Tauktae
In view of this, IMD has issued warnings to five coastal states -- Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka -- as heavy to very heavy rainfall is predicted in isolated areas of these states due to low pressure which would intensify into a cyclone by May 16.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 53 teams to tackle the situation.
NDRF director Satya Narayan Pradhan tweeted that of these 53 teams, 24 will be at pre-deployment and 29 at standby for the five coastal states.
Strong winds with a speed of 40-50 km per hour are likely to hit the coastal regions.
For May 18, IMD has predicted gale wind speeds reaching 60-70 kmph gusting to 80 kmph over northeast Arabian Sea and along and off the Gujarat coast from the morning, which is likely to increase gradually as the day passes by.
