Chennai: The deep depression over southwest Bay of Bengal intensified into cyclonic storm 'Burevi' on Tuesday and it is very likely to intensify further and cross the Sri Lankan coast on December 2, the India Meteorological Department said.
After making landfall in the neighbouring country, close to Trincomalee, it is very likely to emerge into Gulf of Mannar and adjoining Comorin area -around Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu- on December 3 morning, the IMD said in a bulletin.
It would then move nearly west-southwestwards and cross south Tamil Nadu coast between Kanyakumari and Pamban in the wee hours of December 4, it said.
In south Tamil Nadu and south Kerala, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at a few places and extremely heavy showers at isolated places on December 3, the department had said earlier.
Similar spells could be expected on the preceding and following day as well in parts of the two states including Kanyakumari and Thiruvananthapuram, the IMD had said.
The IMD has issued a red alert for south Tamil Nadu and south Kerala for December 3.
This is the second cyclone that is predicted to hit Tamil Nadu in a week. Last week, a very severe cyclonic storm, Nivar, had battered the southern state.
Burevi is unlikely to be as intense as Nivar, IMD director general Mrutunjay Mohapatra said.
It is very likely to cross the Sri Lanka coast close to Trincomalee during the evening or night of December 2 as a cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 75-85 kilometres per hour gusting to 95 kmph, the IMD's Cyclone Warning Division said.
All precautionary measures in place: TN CM
As Tamil Nadu braces for the second cyclone in a week, Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Tuesday said all precautionary measures are in place to minimise the possible damage that could be caused by the weather system and urged people to stay indoors.
The chief minister appealed to people, particularly those in the southern districts, not to step out unnecessarily between December 1 and 4.
People in the districts where alerts have been issued warning of heavy rain or storm should not venture out unnecessarily and the fishermen who have set out for fishing should return to safety, he said.
The chief minister directed the monitoring officials of districts including Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin to oversee the precautionary measures there.
Palaniswami, who chaired a high-level meeting to assess the cyclone's impending impact, called upon the public not to panic over the new cyclonic storm as all precautionary measures have been taken on war-footing.
"I request you to follow the instructions of the government and extend your full cooperation," Palaniswami said in a statement.
National disaster response teams have been stationed in Madurai, Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin, he added.
The meet was attended among others by deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam, ministers and senior officials.
Meanwhile, Revenue and Disaster Management minister R B Udayakumar said the impact of the new cyclone could be felt till Madurai.
Deep sea fishermen from the coastal Kanyakumari district who have ventured into the sea have been warned to return to the shore.
Permission has been sought from appropriate authorities to facilitate a safe landing for the Tamil Nadu fishermen in Karnataka, Kerala, Goa and Lakshadweep, he said.
The Central team deputed to assess the damage caused to Tamil Nadu due to Nivar last week, is expected to arrive on December 5.
The team would hold consultation with the chief minister after visiting the affected areas, Udayakumar said.
Earlier, cyclone Nivar had crossed the coast between Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on November 26.
(With PTI inputs)
