Heavy rains likely in AP as low pressure area heads to coast

A severe low pressure area formed in the Bay of Bengal is moving towards the coasts of north Tamil Nadu and southern Andhra Pradesh. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the system intensified on Wednesday and is expected to continue its northwestward trajectory over the next 24 hours before moving along the coast.

Heavy rainfall is forecasted to affect several districts in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu until Friday. The IMD anticipates that districts such as Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalle, and Kakinada will experience heavy to very heavy rainfall on Thursday. Further heavy rains are likely in Srikakulam, Alluri Seetharamaraju, Dr. BR Ambedkar Konaseema, Sripotti Sriramulu Nellore, and Tirupati districts. On Friday, Srikakulam, Parvathipuram Manyam, and Vizianagaram districts will also receive significant rainfall.

The Visakhapatnam Meteorological Center has issued warnings regarding high winds, with gusts reaching speeds of up to 55 km/h along the coast due to the severe low pressure. As a precaution, fishermen have been advised to refrain from fishing until Sunday due to stormy sea conditions.

In the meantime, light to moderate rains have already affected various districts, including Tirupati, Bapatla, Eluru, Anakapalle, Visakhapatnam, and Srikakulam, causing rough sea conditions.

Meteorological expert Acharya Bhanu Kumar highlighted the impact of climate change on weather patterns, stating that the typical low pressure systems that would normally cross the Andhra Pradesh coast are instead shifting towards Tamil Nadu. He noted that models suggest the formation of another low pressure system near the Andaman Islands by the end of this month, which could further affect weather patterns in the region.