The state machinery of Tamil Nadu and Kerala is gearing up to deal with Cyclone Burevi, which weakened into a deep depression on Thursday and will make landfall in Tamil Nadu on 4 December. The IMD had earlier predicted that Burevi, which crossed the Sri Lanka coast on Wednesday night, would hit the Tamil Nadu coast as a cyclonic storm.
Deep depression is a stage of cyclone formation or de-intensification.
“Cyclonic storm Burevi over Gulf of Mannar weakened into a deep depression on 3rd December and is close to Ramanathapuram district coast, about 20 kilometres southwest of Pamban and 210 km east-northeast of Kanyakumari,” the IMD said on Thursday evening. The associated wind speed is about 55-65 kmph, gusting up to 75 kmph, it added.
The deep depression would move west-southwestwards and cross Ramanathapuram and Thoothukudi districts between Thursday night and Friday early morning with a wind speed of 50-60 kmph, gusting up to 70 kmph. It is also very likely to further weaken into a depression (with a wind speed of 40-50 kmph, gusting up to 60 kmph) by Friday.
The IMD has already issued a red alert for south Tamil Nadu and south Kerala.
IMD Director General Mrutunjay Mohapatra said south Tamil Nadu had received deficient rainfall and this weather system is expected to help reduce the gap. Tamil Nadu, Kerala and other parts of south India receive rain due to the northeast monsoon between the months of October and December.