Maha cyclone has intensified into a severe cyclone storm, weather department said.
Maha cyclone has intensified into a severe cyclone storm over Lakshadweep and adjoining southeast Arabian Sea and Maldives area and into the cyclonic storm. Cyclone Kyarr will weaken gradually, the weather department said in its latest bulletin. Kerala, coastal Karnataka and south Tamil Nadu will see light to heavy rainfall at isolated places today and tomorrow. Extremely heavy rainfall is also expected at isolated places over Lakshadweep Islands.
"Cyclone Maha is very likely to continue to move north-northwestwards across Lakshadweep Islands during next 12 hours. Then it is very likely to move northwestwards, emerge into east-central Arabian Sea during subsequent 12 hours and thereafter move west-northwestwards," the India Meteorological Department said.
"Gale wind speed reaching 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph is prevailing over Lakshadweep area around the system centre. It is very likely to increase becoming 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph," the Met office said.
Two cyclonic storms are brewing in the Arabian Sea in a rare occurrence and one of them is likely to batter the Lakshadweep archipelago in the next 24 hours, the weather department said yesterday.
India Meteorological Department Director General Mritunjay Mohapatra said the deep depression in the Arabian Sea intensified into cyclonic storm "Maha" on Wednesday evening.
Cyclone "Kyarr" had turned into a super cyclone on Tuesday, another rare occasion for the western seafront of India.
On Wednesday, it weakened into a ''severe cyclonic storm'' while the deep depression intensified into cyclonic storm ''Maha''.