Now, Lehar set to hit coastal AP

Yet another cyclonic storm "Lehar” is hovering over the Andaman Sea and is expected to hit the Andhra Pradesh coast by Thursday.  Lehar will be the third in series of cyclonic storms to batter the Andhra coast in recent months. The cyclonic storm Lehar over the Andaman Sea has moved northwestwards and is laying centered about 230 km east-southeast of Port Blair. The system would intensify further, move west-northwestwards and cross the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, close to Port Blair around Sunday night. IMD says that it would then emerge onto the southeast Bay of Bengal, intensify further gradually into a very severe cyclonic storm. It would move west-northwestwards and cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Machillipatnam and Kalingapatnam near Kakinada around Thursday noon. Under Lehar’s influence rainfall would occur over Andaman & Nicobar Islands during the next 48 hrs. Squalls with speed reaching 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph would prevail along and off the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The wind speed would gradually increase and become 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph from Sunday evening along and off this coast. Storm surge of about 1 to 1.5 metre height above astronomical tide would inundate the low lying areas of Andaman & Nicobar Islands within 100 km from the landfall point. Sea condition will be very rough along and off the Andaman & Nicobar Islands becoming high to very high. Under its impact, there will be extensive damage to thatched roofs and huts. Minor damage to power and communication lines due to uprooting of large avenue trees might also happen. It was advised that fishermen should stay away from fishing operations, coastal hutment dwellers to be moved to safer places and people in affected areas to remain indoors. Meanwhile, under the Helen system, rain occurred at many places over Telangana on Sunday. Rain occurred at a few places over South Coastal Andhra Pradesh and isolated rain occurred over Rayalaseema. Forecast is that light to moderate rain or thundershowers would occur at a few places over coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Rayalaseema. In Hyderabad, condition will be generally cloudy. Rain or thundershowers would occur in parts of city.   DHNS