Cyclone Asani intensifies into sever cyclonic storm
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.