New Delhi: A low-pressure area lying over the Strait of Malacca and adjoining South Andaman Sea is likely to strengthen into a cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal around November 26, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday.

If the system intensifies into a cyclone, it will be named ‘Senyar’ — meaning lion — a name suggested by the United Arab Emirates. The UAE is among the 13 member countries that contribute names for cyclones developing in the North Indian Ocean region.

Cyclone naming in this region is carried out by the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (RSMC), New Delhi, operated by the IMD under the supervision of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the UN ESCAP.

Earlier, speaking to ANI, IMD scientist Dr Sanjeev Dwivedi said the system is expected to move further and intensify.

“A low-pressure area over the Strait of Malacca and the adjoining Andaman region is expected to move west to northwest, with the possibility of depression formation over the South Andaman Sea on November 24. The (low-pressure) system will continue to move west-northwest. It is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm,” he said.

Weather alerts

According to the IMD, heavy rainfall is likely over:

  • Tamil Nadu between Nov 25–30 (very heavy on Nov 28–30),
  • Kerala & Mahe on Nov 25–26,
  • Andaman & Nicobar Islands from Nov 25–29 (very heavy on Nov 26–27),
  • Coastal Andhra Pradesh & Yanam and Rayalaseema between Nov 29–Dec 1 (very heavy on Nov 30).

Thunderstorms with lightning are also expected over Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Mahe, Lakshadweep, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, Rayalaseema and Andaman & Nicobar Islands on different days, with gusty winds reaching 40–60 kmph over the islands between Nov 25–28.