Cyclone Mandous intensifies, says IMD; rain alert for north TN, Chennai, Puducherry, Andhra

Deep depression over Southwest and adjoining Southeast Bay of Bengal has intensified into a cyclonic storm Mandous, said India Meteorological Department on Thursday, following which IMD has issued cyclone alert for north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh coasts. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into sea along and off South Andhra coasts, and south west Bay of Bengal until Saturday.

Heavy rainfall is predicted over several parts of Tamil Nadu as cyclone 'Mandous' over the Bay of Bengal is expected to cross the coast between Puducherry and Sriharikota in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh on the midnight of December 9, the India Meteorological Department said on Thursday.

Deep depression over Southwest and adjoining Southeast Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 10 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centred at Southwest and adjoining Southeast Bay of Bengal, about 610 km east-southeast of Karaikal and about 700 km southeast of Chennai.

The well-marked low pressure area over southeast Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression on December 6 and it further intensified into a ''deep depression'' and lay about 750 km off Chennai as on Wednesday. In its bulletin issued on Thursday, the IMD said the cyclonic storm 'Mandous' (pronounced as 'Man-dous') over Southwest Bay of Bengal about 500 km off east south east of Karaikal. ''It is expected to move west-northwest and cross north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining South Andhra Pradesh coast between Puducherry and Sriharikota with a wind speed of 70 km per hour around midnight of December 9,'' an IMD bulletin said.

Puducherry is about 160 km from Chennai.