A red alert has been sounded in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry after the meteorological department has forecast cyclone Gaja’s onslaught on the coast between Karaikal and Cuddalore this Wednesday (14 November), News Today has reported.

The report claimed that as of Sunday evening (11 November) the storm was around 925 km northeast of Chennai. The capital, as a result, is expected to experience light rains.

According to a press release issued by the India Meteorological Department the depression over southeast Bay of Bengal intensified into a deep depression over southeast and adjoining central regions of the bay. After moving further west-northwestwards, it intensified into a cyclonic storm Gaja over east-central, west-central & southeast Bay of Bengal on early Sunday morning (11 November).

The release claimed that the cyclone is set to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm and move west-northwestwards over the next few days and then change its course west-southwestwards towards north Tamil Nadu and southern Andhra Pradesh coasts. It added that in the process the storm is likely to weaken gradually.

The release warned of heavy rainfall in some places of Tamil Nadu, high winds and rough sea conditions. It also issued an advisory to the fishermen not to sail into the Andaman Sea around southeast Bay of Bengal between 11 to 13 November and in southwest and west-central region of the sea from 12 November. It also advised fishermen already in the deep sea to return back to shore by Monday (12 November).