With Cyclone Gaja set to cross the Tamil Nadu coast by Thursday afternoon, the India Met Department has scaled up its heavy rainfall warning for the southern districts of Kerala on November 15 and 16.
An orange alert indicating isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall has been issued for Kollam on Thursday and Friday and for Thiruvananthapuram on Friday. An yellow alert (isolated heavy rainfall) has been issued for Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday, Pathanamthitta on Thursday and Friday, and Alappuzha on Friday.
The forecast track of the storm shows Gaja making landfall along the Tamil Nadu coast between Pamban and Cuddalore and crossing over to Kerala after weakening into a depression. Thereafter the system is expected to cross over into the Arabian Sea as a low pressure area.
A weather bulletin issued by the Met Centre here on Tuesday said strong wind, speed reaching 30-40 kmph and gusting to 50 kmph, was very likely over south Kerala, southeast Arabian Sea along and off the Kerala coast, Comorin area, Gulf of Mannar, and Palk Strait on November 16.
Strong wind is likely to prevail over southeast Arabian Sea and along and off the Kerala coast on November 17 also.
Alert for fishers
Fishermen are advised not to venture into the southwest and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal till November 15 and those who had gone out for deep-sea fishing have been advised to return to the coast.
