2 tourists drown in sea in Bengal as Cyclone Asani intensifies into severe cyclonic storm | Top points

After intensifying into a severe cyclonic storm, Cyclone Asani is approaching the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh coast, where it will bring heavy rain over the next two days. Here are the latest developments.

Cyclone Asani, which developed over the southeast Bay of Bengal, further intensified into a severe cyclonic storm on Sunday evening and is inching closer to the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast. Though unlikely to make landfall, it could skirt the coastal districts of these states in the next two days, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

On reaching west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal off north Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coasts on Tuesday (May 10), Cyclone Asani is very likely to recurve and approach the northwest Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast.

Cyclone Asani is the first cyclonic storm of the season as a similar weather event in March had fizzled out before it could acquire the strength of a cyclone.

1. IMD Director-General Mrutunjay Mohaptra said the cyclone will move parallel to the east coast and cause rainfall from Tuesday evening. Under the influence of the system in the Bay of Bengal, thunderstorms, lightning and light rain is forecast over Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Sikkim till May 12.

SCS ‘Asani’ over Southeast and adjoining Westcentral Bay of Bengal, near lati 13.0°N and long 87.5°E, about 570 km west-northwest of Port https://t.co/kPvyqOuD7u move northwestwards till 10th May night and reach Westcentral and adjoining Northwest BoB off North AP & Odisha coast pic.twitter.com/gecVctA5M1