Chennai rains: North-East monsoon to stay strong into next week

However, with the prospects of rapid intensification of either of these systems, the IMD has apparently ruled out formation of a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal.

According to the latest updates from international/domestic models, the three weather systems currently driving the North-East monsoon in the South China Sea, Gulf of Thailand and the Bay of Bengal are cutting into each other's prospect for rapid intensification. Their presence is sufficient to sustain the strong monsoon flows well into next week.

Tropical storm 'Damrey' is the strongest of these systems and is approaching the Vietnam coast for a landfall by tomorrow, reported The Hindu.

Damrey formed as a depression on November 1 around 5 p.m. EDT (2100 UTC). Early on November 2 the depression strengthened into a tropical storm and was renamed Damrey.

It has been largely responsible for the delayed movement of the low-pressure area, downstream over the Gulf of Thailand and the Malay peninsula, which stays put at its overnight's bearing.

The tropical storm's arrival into the Indian territorial waters of Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal is expected to happen on Friday or Saturday, India Met Department (IMD) said.

According to the Thailand Met Department, under whose jurisdiction it currently falls, wind speeds are up to 35 km/hr in the Andaman Sea and up to 40 km/hr over the Indochina region.

Once the 'low' crosses in, it is expected to link immediately with the prevailing counterpart 'low 'over South-West Bengal, off Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu coasts.

However, with the prospects of rapid intensification of either of these systems, the IMD has apparently ruled out formation of a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal.

IMD had not officially taken a call on any such development, though wind-field projections earlier had pointed to the contrary.

OneIndia News