Depression building over the southeast Arabian Sea

Updates by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday pointed to a depression building over the southeast Arabian Sea, in the Maldives area, by Tuesday.

A low pressure area, as identified by weathermen on Sunday over the equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal and south Sri Lanka coast, now lies as a well marked low pressure area adjoining south Sri Lanka and the Maldives-Comorin area, an IMD bulletin said in the evening.

"It is very likely to move initially west-northwestwards and then northwestwards and concentrate into a depression over southeast Arabian Sea (Maldives area) during next 36 hours," the bulletin said.

Rain and thundershower have been predicted in the southern parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala till Wednesday.

The IMD has predicted rough sea conditions over the Comorin-Maldives area and the adjoining sea areas during the next 48 hours and over Lakshadweep and southeast Arabian Sea between Tuesday and Thursday.

It said wind speed over Lakshadweep and southeast Arabian Sea would gradually increase, at 45-55 kmph gusting up to 65 kmph on Wednesday and Thursday.

FISHERMEN ALERT

The Meteorological Centre in Thiruvananthapuram has advised fishermen against venturing into the sea off the Comorin area, south Kerala coast, Lakshadweep area and the adjoining Southeast Arabian Sea till March 15.

The Met Centre, in a 4 pm update, forecast thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds in the southern districts of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Alappuzha.