Amaravati: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned on Sunday that Cyclone Ditwah, hovering in the southwest Bay of Bengal, will ramp up precipitation in various parts of Andhra Pradesh. Over the previous six hours, the storm has shifted nearly northward, anchoring itself near 11.4 degrees north latitude and 80.6 degrees east longitude, just off the northern Tamil Nadu-Puducherry shoreline.
In its latest bulletin, the IMD noted that the cyclone, named by Yemen after a prominent saline lagoon on the island of Socotra, will persist in tracking parallel to the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast, staying 30 to 70 kilometers from shore while boosting rain in Andhra Pradesh.
For North Coastal Andhra Pradesh (NCAP) and Yanam, the forecast calls for light to moderate showers, interspersed with thunderstorms and gusty winds reaching 35-45 kmph, with bursts up to 55 kmph, over the coming two days. Scattered light to moderate rain or thundershowers could pop up on Tuesday.
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In South Coastal Andhra Pradesh (SCAP), heavier downpours loom, with heavy to very heavy rain possible at isolated spots and extremely heavy falls at one or two sites through Sunday. Monday may see heavy rain in a few areas, tapering to light to moderate levels by Tuesday.
Rayalaseema faces similar prospects, with light to moderate rain expected across most areas on Monday, including heavy to very heavy amounts at select locations, plus isolated thunderstorms and lightning. Tuesday should bring lighter, more sporadic showers.
Winds will add to the challenge: squalls of 35-45 kmph, gusting to 55 kmph, are anticipated in NCAP, while SCAP and parts of Rayalaseema could encounter stronger blasts of 50-60 kmph, peaking at 70 kmph.
On the preparedness front, Andhra Pradesh Home Minister V Anita convened a review meeting from the Guntur district Secretariat with collectors from Nellore, Tirupati, Kadapa, Chittoor, and Annamayya districts to assess cyclone readiness. She urged officials to maintain vigilance for the next 48 hours, disseminating nonstop alerts to at-risk communities facing intense rain and winds. Instructions included swift removal of debris like fallen branches, rapid power restoration, quick responses to control-room alerts, and stationing response teams in high-risk zones to avert mishaps. The district heads assured her that safeguards were active, with evacuation shelters primed for use if needed.