The cyclonic storm 'LAILA' over southwest and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal moved further westwards and lay centred at 0230 hrs IST of today, the 19th May 2010 over southwest and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal near latitude 13.00N and long. 82.00E, about 185 km east of Chennai, 540 km west-southwest of Visakhapatnam and 1260 km southwest of Kolkata.
The current environmental conditions and Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models suggest that the system is likely to intensify further and move in a northwesterly to northerly direction and cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Ongole and Visakhapatnam by early hours of 20th May 2010.
Under the influence of this system, north coastal Tamil Nadu and coastal Andhra Pradesh are likely to experience widespread rainfall with scattered heavy to very heavy falls (25 cms or more) and isolated extremely heavy falls during next 48 hours. Gale force wind with speed reaching 65-75 kmph likely along and off Andhra Pradesh coast during next 48 hours. It may increase to 115-125 kmph at the time of landfall. Squally winds speed reaching 50-60 kmph likely along and off north Tamil Nadu coast during next 24 hours.
Sea condition will be very high to phenomenal along and off Andhra Pradesh coast and very rough along and off north Tamil Nadu coast.
Fishermen are advised not venture into the sea off these coasts.