AP ready to face Cyclone Mandous

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh government is geared up to meet the likely impact of the Mandous cyclone. The name Mandous, which is given by the United Arab Emirates, means a treasure box.

According to Chief Secretary KS Jawahar Reddy, the state is fully prepared to face the storm in the Bay of Bengal. The main four districts of South Andhra -- Nellore, Prakasam, Chittoor, Ananthapuram and two other nearby districts will be affected, he said.

Control rooms have been set up from the mandal level to district and state level. Special attention has been given to the weak dams and reservoirs. At present, 11 SDRF teams and 10 NDRF teams have been deployed, he added. In view of the cyclonic storm, fishermen have been warned not to go fishing in the sea and if anyone has already gone fishing, they should return to the shore immediately.

According to the weather office, a well-marked low-pressure area lies over the Southeast Bay of Bengal on Tuesday and is likely to move west, north westwards and concentrate into a depression over the Southeast Bay of Bengal. It is likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm around December 7 and reach the Southwest Bay of Bengal off north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts by December 8 morning.

The Met office said heavy rains in south Coastal Andhra Pradesh (SCAP) due to the impact of cyclonic storm, thunderstorm accompanied with lightning is likely at isolated places in SCAP and Rayalaseema in the subsequent 48 hours.

Strong winds with a speed of 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph likely at isolated places in the South Coastal Andhra Pradesh. Heavy rains are likely at isolated places in SCAP on December 8. Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning likely at isolated places in SCAP and Rayalaseema. Strong winds with a speed of 40 to 45 kmph on December 7 gusting to 75 kmph between December 7 and 9, and gale wind speed reaching 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph is predicted on December 8. The wind speed would come down by December 9.