Parts of Andhra Pradesh's coastal regions experienced severe weather conditions on Sunday as Cyclone Ditwah advanced closer to the eastern coastline, bringing moderate to heavy rainfall and strong winds to Nellore and Tirupati districts.
Government Response and Control Rooms
The Andhra Pradesh government has established control rooms in vulnerable districts to closely monitor and manage the situation arising from the cyclonic weather system. These measures come as authorities anticipate the cyclone may trigger more intense rainfall on Monday.
Normal life was significantly disrupted across affected areas on Sunday, with heavy rains particularly impacting Tirupati and Nellore districts. The inclement weather has raised concerns about potential damage to standing crops in parts of Rayalaseema and south coastal Andhra regions.
IMD Weather Forecast and Warnings
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), rainfall intensity is likely to increase on Monday in several parts of Rayalaseema region along with Prakasam and Nellore districts in south coastal Andhra.
The IMD's detailed report indicates that Tirupati, Kadapa and Annamayya districts in Rayalaseema, and Bapatla district in south coastal Andhra may experience heavy to very heavy rainfall. Meanwhile, districts including Chittoor, Sri Sathya Sai, Anantapur and Nandyal in Rayalaseema, and Palnadu, Guntur, Krishna, West Godavari and Konaseema in coastal Andhra are likely to receive isolated heavy rainfall.
Safety Measures and Precautions
Local authorities have proactively sent SMS alerts to residents in low-lying areas, urging them to take necessary precautions. Officials have specifically warned that people in vulnerable zones must remain alert due to the risk of flash floods in parts of Guntur, Prakasam, Nellore, Chittoor, Tirupati, Annamayya and Kadapa districts.
The weather system has also generated dangerous sea conditions, with squally winds reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph on Sunday night. The IMD's cyclone warning indicates these winds are very likely to decrease to speeds of 35-45 kmph gusting to 55 kmph from Monday evening.
Both the IMD and local authorities have warned fishermen against venturing into the sea until at least Tuesday as squally weather with wind speeds of 35-45 kmph gusting to 55 kmph may continue to prevail along and off north coastal Andhra and Yanam on Monday.
