Weather update: Heavy rain predicted amid alert over Cyclone Asani

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are likely to witness heavy rainfall in the midst of alert over Cyclone Asani - which is set to develop above the Andaman Sea on Monday- with rescue teams stationed. This is the first cyclone of the year 2022 that has put rescue teams on high alert.

However, no landfall point is indicated. Strong winds with speed reaching upto 55-65 km per hour are likely to trigger distruction and disturbance apart from heavy rain. citizens living along the coast line have been moved to safety.

Here are the updates on Cyclone Asani:

1. In a tweet, the weather department said the depression over the Andaman Sea, 250 km north-northeast of Nicobar Islands and 80 km south-southeast of Port Blair, is set to move northwards along the islands, and intensify "into a deep depression in the next 12 hours".

2. A number of teams of the NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) have been stationed in Port Blair, the government has said. Army and Navy are also waiting in the wings.

3. No landfall point has been indicated. “We have not mentioned or predicted any landfall point. It will move along and off Andaman and Nicobar Islands and then over the east-central Bay of Bengal and along and off the Myanmar coast and gradually reduce and becoming squally winds speed reaching upto 55-65 kmph to 75 kmph over the same region from Tuesday evening. When moving along and off Andaman and Nicobar it is likely to bring extremely heavy rainfall and strong winds to the region," IMD scientist said.

4. The Andaman and Nicobar is set to experience strong winds with speed reaching 55-65 km per hour, gusting to 75 km per hour, the IMD (India Meteorological Department) has said.

5. Fishermen have been advised not to venture along and off the islands on Monday and Tuesday.

6. Partial disruption of power lines, flooding of roads, "localised landslides or mudslides" are on the impact list.

7. Tourist activities have been suspended in the areas that are likely to bear the impact.

8. The government last week took a stock of the preparadeness.

9. Earlier, the IMD had said that only eight cyclones have been formed in March between 1891 and 2020, including two in the Arabian Sea and six in the Bay of Bengal.

10. “Climatologically March is not cyclone season. It is April and May. The ocean is cooler in March and solar insolation is not very high. In March, westerly systems are predominant in the northern parts of the country and easterly waves are predominant over the Peninsular region,” an IMD official had said.

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