Season's first cyclonic storm set to hit near Andaman & Nicobar islands on March 21

Light to moderate rainfall, thundershower at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places is very likely over Nicobar Islands on Friday as a Low Pressure Area (LPA) in south-east Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm by March 21.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has introduced pre-genesis track and intensity forecast experimentally at the stage of the LPA over southeast Bay of Bengal. It is the first centre to initiate pre-genesis forecast worldwide.

The LPA over central parts of south Bay of Bengal moved east-north-eastwards and lay centred over southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining east Equatorial Indian Ocean on Thursday morning. "It is likely to continue to move east-north-eastwards, become a Well-Marked Low Pressure Area (WM LPA) and lie over southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining south Andaman Sea by March 19 morning. Thereafter, it is likely to move nearly northwards along & off Andaman & Nicobar Islands, intensify into a depression by morning of March 20 and into a cyclonic storm on March 21," the IMD bulletin said.

Thereafter, the system is likely to move nearly north-north-eastwards and reach near Bangladesh-north Myanmar coasts around morning of March 22.

After the light to moderate rainfall, thundershower at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places very likely over Nicobar Islands on March 18, the IMD said that light to moderate rainfall, thundershower at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places very likely over Andaman & Nicobar Islands with isolated extremely heavy rainfall likely over Nicobar Islands on March 19.

As the system intensifies, on March 20, light to moderate rainfall, thundershower at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places is very likely over Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the IMD warned and added that on March 21, there will be light to moderate rainfall, thundershower at most places with isolated heavy rainfalls very likely over Andaman Islands.

The IMD has also issued warnings about strong wind conditions and in view of the sea conditions likely to become rough to very rough, advised the fishermen not to venture into the seas around the Andaman & Nicobar Islands till March 21.