CHENNAI: The depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm within the next 24 hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its Saturday (October 31) evening bulletin.
If it develops into a cyclonic storm, it will be named ‘Murasu’, as proposed by India. This will be the second cyclonic storm to form over the Bay of Bengal this year.
The well-marked low-pressure area over the southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Andaman Sea concentrated into a depression at 11.30 am on Saturday. It is likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a deep depression over the next 12 hours, followed by a cyclonic storm over the southeast and adjoining southwest and west-central Bay of Bengal in the subsequent 12 hours.
The system is likely to reach the west-central Bay of Bengal, near the Andhra Pradesh coast, by the evening of November 2.
Meanwhile, the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Chennai, has forecast light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places across parts of Tamil Nadu on Sunday (November 1).
Heavy rain is likely at isolated places in the Nilgiris and Tiruvallur districts on November 2, and in Cuddalore, Villupuram and Puducherry on November 3. Thunderstorms and lightning are also likely at isolated places between November 1 and 4.
Chennai is likely to experience partly cloudy skies on Saturday, with mainly dry weather. The maximum temperature is expected to be 34-35°C and the minimum 25-26°C.
On Sunday, the sky is likely to remain partly cloudy, with light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning in some parts of the city. The maximum temperature is expected to dip slightly to 33-34°C, while the minimum is likely to remain between 25°C and 26°C.
The IMD has also forecast above-normal maximum temperatures by 2-4°C in a few pockets of Tamil Nadu on Saturday and by 2-3°C on Sunday.