11 Coastal States and Union Territories will continue to experience dry conditions
The Meteorological Department has said that there is a possibility of high tide in the sea in the next two days.
The Hyderabad-based Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) issued an ‘orange’ alert on Sunday. A warning has been issued for the low-lying coastal areas of Kerala, South Tamil Nadu, Lakshadweep, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, North Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with severe storm surge.”
During the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, low-lying areas of Kerala and South Tamil Nadu reported strong waves with reports of sea water inundating properties near coastal areas.
Experts said that 1.5 meter high waves will hit coastal areas in Kerala’s southern coastal districts and Thoothukudi and Tenkasi districts in Tamil Nadu till Monday morning.
Recent high tides have coincided with high tide periods increasing wave height and intensity.
In addition to currents, winds can induce ocean waves of varying heights and intensities. When strong winds blow over the surface of calm ocean water, friction occurs between the wind and the water. This leads to an increase in the surface area of the wave and thus its size. When waves form along rough surfaces, it becomes easier for the wind to push high-intensity waves over long distances.
On April 26, the South Atlantic Ocean, located about 10,000 km from India, experienced persistent storm surge over some coastal areas. Meteorologically, swells move slowly but cover huge distances. Based on its ocean state forecast, INCOIS officials said the slow-moving swell approached the southern Indian Ocean on April 28 and then hit the southern tip of India on Saturday.
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority issued an advisory to fishermen on Sunday saying that the coastal areas along Kerala, Lakshadweep and Karnataka are safe for fishing. However, wind speed of 45-55 km/hr to 65 km/hr will affect coastal Andhra Pradesh till May 7. Officials have requested a halt to all fishing activities and beach visits in the area.
The Bay of Bengal is expected to remain turbulent for the next week. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of waves of 2.5-4 meters in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha with moderate waves of 1.25-2.5 meters on the coast of Tamil Nadu on Monday.
