The India Meteorological Department confirmed on Wednesday morning that a deep depression over the Strait of Malacca has rapidly intensified into cyclonic storm ‘Senyar’, now packing sustained wind speeds of 70-90 kmph and gusts exceeding 100 kmph, as it hurtles almost due west at 10 kmph towards the northeastern coast of Indonesia.

According to the IMD’s latest bulletin issued at 0530 IST, Senyar is expected to make landfall over the Indonesian coastline during Wednesday afternoon while retaining cyclonic storm intensity for at least the next 24 hours, after which it will initially move west-southwestwards across Sumatra before recurving sharply eastward over the subsequent 48 hours, prolonging hazardous weather conditions over the Andaman Sea and adjoining maritime zones.

Simultaneously, a separate and potentially more impactful weather system has formed over the southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas of south Sri Lanka and the Equatorial Indian Ocean; this well-marked low-pressure area is showing rapid organisation and is very likely to concentrate into a depression within the next 24 hours, with further intensification into a cyclonic storm remaining under close watch.

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The combined influence of both systems has triggered extensive rainfall alerts across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at isolated pockets is forecast for November 26 and 27, gradually diminishing from November 28 onwards, while fishermen have been strictly advised against venturing into the southeast Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea till further notice.

In peninsular India, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, and coastal Andhra Pradesh remain on high alert for renewed spells of heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning from November 26 through November 29; with several districts already waterlogged after Monday’s deluge and schools and colleges shut on Tuesday, district administrations are on standby for possible extension of closures and evacuation measures as the Bay of Bengal system continues its north-northwestward trajectory.

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