Fishermen shift their boats for safety following cyclone alert, in Mamallapuram on Monday. PTI

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 23

While the very severe cyclonic storm ‘Gati’ weakened, another depression over southwest and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal is intensifying into a severe cyclone.

Named ‘Nivar’, it is very likely to move northwestwards and cross Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mamallapuram around November 25 afternoon as a “severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph”, according to the IMD.

Sounding a red alert, the IMD said isolated extremely heavy rainfall activity was very likely over Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on November 25.

Sea condition will be rough to very rough over southwest and adjoining west-central and southeast Bay of Bengal and along and off Tamil Nadu and Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh coasts and over Gulf of Mannar, it said.

Under its influence, “fairly widespread to widespread rainfall/thunderstorm activity can be expected over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal between November 24 and 26 and over south Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema and Telangana during November 25 and 26”.

The cyclone will sped up to 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph over the southwest Bay of Bengal along and off coastal districts of north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry (Nagapattinam, Karaikal, Myladuthurai, Cuddalore, Puducherry, Villupuram and Chengalpattu districts), 65-75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph over adjoining west-central Bay along and off south Andhra Pradesh (Nellore and Prakasham districts), Gulf of Mannar and along and off districts of south coastal districts of Tamil Nadu from November 25 morning for 12 hours.

Tidal wave of about one metre height above the astronomical tide is very likely to inundate the low lying areas near the place of landfall, cautioned the IMD.

Fishermen have been advised not to venture out and major damage to thatched houses/huts, power and communication lines, trees, coastal crops, banana and papaya trees, horticulture and orchards is expected, it said.