Cyclone Burevi to Head for South TN Coast; Landfall Likely Tonight--IMD

Mumbai Commodities Control - 'Orange Alert' from India Meteorological Department (IMD) for South Tamil Nadu and South Kerala has been issued.

Cyclone 'Burevi' is expected to cross the Sri Lanka Coast to the North of Trincomalee (more to the North than expected earlier) by night for the first landfall as a cyclone with wind speeds of 80-90 km/hr gusting to 100 km/hr. Severe cyclone status is reached when winds speed up to the threshold of 89-117 km/hour.

IMD has warned of a storm surge of up to 3.2 feet high above astronomical that could potentially inundate low-lying areas of Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts in Tamil Nadu during the time of landfall.

Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Ramanathapuram districts in South Tamil Nadu and Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts in South Kerala should stay alert to the risk of damage to thatched huts and power and communication lines. Some damage is possible for paddy crops, banana and papaya trees and orchards. Seawater could seep into the low-lying areas once kutcha embankments give in.

The Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai, has forecast extremely heavy rain over the Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi and Kanyakumari districts and heavy to very heavy rain over Pudukottai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Villupuram, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai districts and Puducherry and Karaikal area as well as over Kerala.

Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu districts of Tamil Nadu.

The IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy falls over Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts in South Kerala on Thursday. It would be isolated to very heavy over South Tamil Nadu on Wednesday and Friday and over South Kerala, on Thursday and Friday.

Squally winds with speed reaching 45-55 km/hr gusting to 65 km/hr are likely along and off the Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts in South Tamil Nadu and Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts in South Kerala.

They may pick up to 55-65 km/hr gusting to 75 km/hr from Wednesday evening to 70-80 km/hr gusting to 90 km/hr from Thursday forenoon and continue into Friday forenoon.