Heavy rain in Odisha, Bengal and Andhra Pradesh likely from Tuesday as Cyclone Asani gathers speed

<p>
Cyclone Asani is likely to intensify further and bring widespread rain along with heavy rain in isolated areas in Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh from Tuesday, Indian Meteorological Department forecast today.</p>
<p>
A deep depression in the Bay of Bengal has intensified into a cyclonic storm which is moving at 16 kmph in a northwest direction. The system lay centred at 5.30 AM over Southeast Bay of Bengal, about 380 km west of Port Blair in Andaman Islands, 970 km southeast of Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and 1030 km south-southeast of Puri (Odisha), the weather office informed.</p>
<p>
The system will remain in the form of a cyclonic storm till Sunday evening and later intensify into a severe cyclonic storm and will continue to remain in this form till May 10 night.</p>
<p>
Rainfall will commence on Tuesday evening and a yellow warning has been issued for rainfall issued in 3 districts in Odisha- Gajpati, Ganjam & Puri. For Wednesday, heavy rainfall warning has been issued for 5 districts- Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Cuttack & Ganjam.</p>
<p>
Heavy rainfall is also expected in West Bengal on Wednesday and Thursday this week, the weather office said, adding that intense downpour was also likely in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday and Wednesday.</p>
<p>
The cyclone is expected to slow down in the sea after May 10 and become another cyclonic storm on May 11 and 12.</p>
<p>
Earlier, IMD had announced that Cyclone Asani will not make landfall in either Odisha or Andhra Pradesh but will move parallel to the coast.</p>
<p>
IMD also predicted heat wave conditions in Vidarbha during May 8 to 12, West Rajasthan during May 8 to 12, South Haryana and East Rajasthan during May 9 to 12, West Madhya Pradesh on May 8 and 9, South Punjab and Jammu division during May 10 to 12.</p>