Chennai: A depression formed over the southwest Bay of Bengal intensified on Wednesday morning to become a cyclone named “Nada”, which is expected to cross Cuddalore coast on Friday.

The Met department has said that a landfall is likely close to Cuddalore between Vedaranyam in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

“Under its influence, light to moderate rainfall is likely to commence at many places over coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry from the evening of November 30,” said an official of the meteorological department.

“Heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at a few places over coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and at isolated places over Kerala in the subsequent days. It has moved west-northwestwards for the past six hours with a speed of about 15 kmph, and lay centered, at 5.30 am today, at about 830 km southeast of Chennai, 780 km east-southeast of Puducherry and 490 km east-southeast of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka),” he added.

“Winds are blowing from north to northeast at 15 to 20 knots. Sea waves are moderate to rough at times. Distant cautionary signal No. 1 with section signal No. 5 has been hoisted at Chennai, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam ports and distant cautionary signal No. 1 has been hoisted at Ennore, Kattupalli, Puducherry, Karaikal, Pamban and Thoothukudi ports,” he added.

Dry weather prevailed over Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka yesterday. A few places over north Tamil Nadu witnessed a drop in temperature up to 5°C.

Meenambakam and Nungambakkam recorded maximum temperature of 30.8 and 29.9° C. The minimum temperature was 20.6 and 22° C at the two centres. The minimum temperatures dropped up to 1.5° C from normal temperature during these days, the official said about the weather condition in the city.

According to Skymet report, the depression in southeast Bay of Bengal has gained strength and has now concentrated into a deep depression. The system is likely to intensify further and concentrate into a cyclonic storm by this evening.

“If this happens, it will be named Cyclone Nada. The system will continue to move in west-northwest direction towards the Tamil Nadu coast. In the wake of the approaching system, light to moderate rain and thundershowers are likely to commence over the coastal regions of Tamil Nadu and South Andhra Pradesh by this evening,” said the report.

Rainfall will pick up pace by December 1 and heavy to very heavy rains may hit several parts of Tamil Nadu and adjoining Andhra Pradesh till December 2. Sea conditions have already become rough to very rough.

Moreover, wind speed is also likely to pick along the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. During the next 24 to 48 hours, squally winds with speeds of 50-70 kmph gusting up to 80 kmph may be witnessed over the region.