Coastal AP could see isolated thunderstorms over the next 5 days

Amaravati, Oct 15 (IANS) The Met department on Wednesday forecast thunderstorms with lightning at isolated places in coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam over the next five days, and in Rayalaseema region on the weekend, under the impact of a deep depression.

According to a Met Department official, the depression, situated about 15 km west by northwest of Andhra's Kakinada and 200 km east by southeast of Telangana's Khammam further moved west by northwestwards at a speed of 32 km per hour in the past six hours.

Around 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday, it lay centred over north interior Karnataka and adjoining areas of Maharashtra and Telangana, about 80 km northwest of Karnataka's Gulbarga and 160 km east of Maharashtra's Solapur.

"It is very likely to move west-northwestwards and gradually weaken into a well-marked low pressure area during the next 12 hours. Thereafter, it is very likely to continue to move west-northwestwards and emerge into east central Arabian Sea, off Maharashtra coast around Friday morning," said the Met official.

The Met Department has also held out a possibility of the depression further intensifying over east central and adjoining northeast Arabian Sea, off Maharashtra and Gujarat coasts with a gradual west by northwestward movement.

The depression, which arose in the Bay of Bengal, first hit Andhra Pradesh and then moved to Telangana to wreak havoc in Hyderabad and surrounding areas. It is now poised to hit states such as Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat.