Cyclone Pabuk: IMD issues Orange alert for Andaman Islands

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday issued an Orange alert for the Andaman Islands as Cyclonic Storm Pabuk moved further west-northwestwards with a speed of 13 kmph in the past six hours. The IMD has also warned fishermen against venturing out to sea.

The storm is very likely to move west-northwestwards for some more time, it said. "Thereafter, it is very likely to move northwestwards and cross the Andaman Islands around the evening of January 6 as a cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 70-80kmph gusting to 90kmph. Thereafter, it is very likely to move north-northwestwards and then recurve northeastwards towards Myanmar coast and weaken gradually during January 7 and 8," the department said.

Rainfall at many places with heavy falls at isolated places very likely to commence over the Andaman Islands and gale wind speed reaching 70-80kmph gusting to 90kmph is likely to prevail.

The IMD warned of damage to thatched huts and power and communication lines when the storm passes the region. It urged people on the Andaman 
Islands to remain in safe places and suspend all fishing operations in the Andaman Sea and southeast and east-central Bay of Bengal from January 5-7 and over east central and adjoining the southeast Bay of Bengal on January 8.

The storm is likely to be very rough over the south-east and the east-central Bay of Bengal, the Andaman Islands, and the adjoining Andaman Sea by January 8 and rough over east-central and adjoining south-east Bay of Bengal by January 8.

Pabuk, a once in the three-decades weather system, originated over the Gulf of Thailand made landfall on Friday afternoon in Nakhon Si Thammarat province.