Hyderabad, October 16: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rain and thunderstorms in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for the next three to five days due to cyclonic circulation over South Coastal Andhra Pradesh and its neighbouring areas.
IMD said in a statement that strong winds of 30-50 kmph, gusting to 60 kmph, will occur at isolated places over coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, Rayalaseema, Telangana regions from October 16 to October 20.
According to the IMD's weather bulletin issued on Friday, heavy rainfall due to an upper-air cyclonic circulation is prevailing over South Coastal Andhra Pradesh and its neighbouring areas in the lower tropospheric levels. A trough extends from this circulation to the northwest Bay of Bengal.
The IMD has also forecast thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of 30–40 kmph, gusting up to 50 kmph, over Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam and Rayalaseema on October 16. Wind speeds are expected to increase to 40–50 kmph, gusting up to 60 kmph, on October 17 and 18. Strong surface winds are also likely across these regions during the three-day period, it said further.
Meanwhile, the IMD forecast isolated to scattered rainfall across Telangana from October 16 to 22, with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds likely at isolated places until October 20.
Telangana is expected to experience intermittent rainfall over the next seven days under the influence of weather systems prevailing across southern India, the statement said.
The weather department warned that heavy rainfall and strong winds could cause waterlogging in low-lying areas, damage standing crops and vulnerable structures, and disrupt road and rail traffic in affected areas.
The Wet spell with heavy rainfall is likely to continue over South Peninsular India till October 22, IMD said in a statement.
The IMD said that in the last 24 hours, very heavy rainfall (12-20 cm) has been recorded over Tamil Nadu and Coastal Karnataka, and heavy rainfall (7-11 cm) over Chhattisgarh, Kerala and South Karnataka.