The cyclonic storm over the southwest Bay of Bengal remains practically stationary and lies centred about 400 kilometres east-south-east of Chennai, according to India Meteorological Department.
Hyderabad Meteorological Centre director G Sudhakar Rao told rediff.com, "The cyclonic storm is stationary. It is not moving at all."
The Meteorological Department, in its latest bulletin issued on Thursday morning, also pointed out, "The cyclonic storm - named Baaz - is likely to intensify further and move in a west-northwest direction and cross the extreme north Tamil Nadu - south Andhra coast between Chennai and Machilipatnam by night of December 2."
District administration in six south coastal districts in Andhra Pradesh still remains on cyclone alert, even as the Indian Army and Indian Navy have been kept ready to render assistance for rescue and relief operations, according to Principal Secretary (Revenue & Relief) D C Rosaiah.
Though the Meteorological Department had earlier forecast that the cyclonic storm was likely to cross the coast by Thursday noon, the storm recorded sluggish movement, covering a distance of 50 kilometres in the last 24 hours. The system has remained practically stationary for several hours and the weather has remained normal in the coastal areas.
According to the latest bulletin, under the influence of the cyclonic storm, fairly widespread rainfall with isolated heavy falls is likely over extreme north coastal Tamil Nadu and coastal Andhra Pradesh during the next 48 hours. Gales with speed reaching 80-90 kilometres per hour are also likely to commence along and off extreme north of Tamil Nadu and south Andhra coast by the afternoon of December 2.
The state of sea will be high to very high off extreme north Tamil Nadu - south Andhra Pradesh coast. Fishermen along the coast are advised not to venture into the sea.
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