Hyderabad: Cyclonic storm Lehar in the Bay of Bengal has weakened and is likely to weaken further before crossing Andhra Pradesh coast Thursday afternoon, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
The IMD withdrew the cyclone warning as it weakened into deep depression, much to the relief of the people in five of the nine coastal districts which feared devastation.
According to an IMD bulletin Thursday morning, the cyclonic storm over westcentral Bay of Bengal weakened into a deep depression and lay centred at about 120 km east-southeast of Machillipatnam and 160 km south of Kakinada.
"It would move west-northwestwards, weaken further and cross Andhra Pradesh coast near Machillipatnam as a depression by today...afternoon."
The Met Office forecast squally winds speed reaching 45-55 kmph along and off Andhra Pradesh coast Thursday.
It also forecast rainfall at most places with isolated heavy to very heavy falls in coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam district of Puducherry (geographically a part of Andhra) till Friday. Rainfall at most places with isolated heavy to very heavy falls would also occur over Telangana during next 36 hours.
The meteorologists had Wednesday said the cyclonic storm weakened due to low temperature of the water at the coast, wind shear at the coast and also the winds blowing from central India.
