Amaravati, Sep 23 Several places in Andhra Pradesh recorded heavy rainfall under the influence of a deep depression over Bay of Bengal, with Palasa in Srikakulam district receiving the highest rainfall of 14 cm, the India Meteorological Department said on Wednesday.
Other places in Coastal Andhra region which recorded heavy rainfall included Sompeta (13 cm), Kalingapatnam (12 cm), Tekkali (11 cm), Araku Valley (10 cm), Visakhapatnam among others.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu directed district collectors and officials to be alert in view of the inclement weather, and ensure people living in areas vulnerable to sudden floods and heavy rains are alerted.
“Monitor inflows in the rivers continuously and take measures for necessary water storage in the reservoirs,” said Naidu in an officials release.
Under the influence of the weather system, heavy rain is expected in 129 mandals, moderate rain in 121 mandals, extremely heavy rain in nine mandals and even more rain in two mandals.
A weather advisory released by IMD forecast extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Parvatipuram Manyam and Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) districts between 8:30 am on Wednesday and 8:30 am on Thursday, issuing a red alert.
The weather department also predicted heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places over Kakinada, Konaseema, East Godavari, West Godavari, Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam and Eluru districts during the same time.
Similarly, the IMD forecast heavy rain at isolated places over NTR, Krishna, Guntur, Bapatla, Anantapur, Kurnool and Nandyal districts during this 24-hour interval.
The IMD warned of widespread waterlogging on roads and low-lying areas, traffic disruptions, uprooting of trees and power poles, and possible breaches in dams and reservoirs due to the heavy rainfall.
The weather office also forecast extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places over Eluru and ASR districts between 8:30 am on September 24 and 8:30 am on September 25.
During the same window, it predicted heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places over Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, Parvatipuram Manyam and Vizianagaram districts.
During the same period, it forecast heavy rains at isolated places over Kakinada, East Godavari, West Godavari, Konaseema, NTR, Krishna and Palnadu districts.
According to PTI Videos, incessant rains inundated agricultural fields, low lying areas and roads at multiple places in Srikakulam district.
Rainwater entered some homes at Bhavani Nagar in Tekkali while a tree got uprooted at Neelapuram mandal.
Meanwhile, Amaravati Meteorological Centre officials said the deep depression over west-central and adjoining Bay of Bengal moved westwards and lay centred over the same region, about 140 km off Vizag and 60 km southeast of Kalingapatnam, bringing heavy rainfall to parts of Andhra Pradesh.
“Yesterday’s (Tuesday) deep depression over west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal moved westwards with a speed of five kmph during the past six hours and lay centred at 8:30 am today over the same region,” said the Met Department in an official press release.
It is very likely to move west-northwestwards and cross North Andhra Pradesh – South Odisha coasts between Vishakhapatnam and Gopalpur, close to Kalingapatnam as a deep depression by Wednesday night, said the Met Department.
According to the Met Department, a trough runs from the centre of the deep depression over west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal up to the Gulf of Thailand across central Bay of Bengal and north Andaman Sea, extending up to 7.6 km above mean sea level.
Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) managing director Prakhar Jain said widespread rains are expected under the influence of the deep depression on Wednesday and Thursday.
Jain advised people in low lying areas to be cautious of sudden floods and directed fishermen to avoid venturing into the sea for fishing.
(PTI News)
