The very severe cyclonic storm, Vardah over westcentral and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal moved further nearly west-southwest-wards and lay centred at about 220 km east-northeast of Chennai and 290 km east-southeast of Nellore. <br/><br/>The system is very likely to move nearly westwards and weaken gradually while moving towards north Tamil Nadu and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts. <br/><br/>It is very likely to cross north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coasts, close to Chennai as a cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 80 to 90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph by today afternoon. <br/><br/>Under its influence rainfall at most places with isolated heavy to very heavy falls over south coastal Andhra Pradesh, north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry is very likely during next 36 hours. <br/><br/>The rainfall intensity will increase gradually becoming heavy to very heavy at a few places and isolated extremely heavy rainfall would occur over Chennai, Thiruvallur and Kanchipuram districts of Tamil Nadu and Nellore and Prakasam districts of Andhra Pradesh. <br/><br/>Squally winds speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph would prevail along and off Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coasts during next 36 hours.<br/><br/>It will gradually increase becoming 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph during the time of landfall along and off Chennai, Thiruvallur and Kanchipuram districts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Nellore and Prakasam districts of Andhra Pradesh. <br/><br/>Fishermen are advised not to venture into sea along and off south Andhra Pradesh, north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts during next 36 hours as the sea condition would be rough to very rough and become high to phenomenal from today morning. <br/><br/>The tidal wave of about one meter height above the astronomical tide is very likely to inundate the low lying areas of Chennai, Thiruvallur and Kanchipuram districts of Tamil Nadu and Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh during the time of landfall. After landfall, the system is likely to maintain its intensity for 06 hours and weaken gradually. <br/><br/>Under its influence, rains at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at few places likely to continue in Chennai, Thiruvallur and Kanchipuram districts of north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Nellore and Prakasam districts of Andhra Pradesh during next 12 hours after landfall. Winds speed reaching 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph likely to continue over these districts during next 24 hrs after landfall. <br/><br/>The very severe cyclonic storm, Vardah is being monitored by Doppler Weather Radar at Chennai apart from Satellite and other observations. <br/>Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had a review with officials yesterday evening and instructed the district administrations of Nellore, Chittoor, Kadapa and Prakasam to be on high alert taking all precautionary measures. Three teams of National Disaster Response Force have reached Nellore district to provide rescue and relief operations. <br/><br/>Senior IAS officers were deputed to all the four districts to take necessary steps responding speedily to minimise the loss of life property and crop, coordinating with other government departments and local bodies. <br/><br/>In preparation for the relief efforts of very severe cyclone Vardah, Eastern Naval Command (ENC) has assumed high degree of readiness to render necessary assistance. All operational ships have been readied up and kept standby to undertake Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations including evacuation, should the situation demand. ENC is closely monitoring the developments and Flag Officer Tamilnadu & Puducherry Naval Area (FOTNA) is in constant communication with the State Administration to augment rescue and relief operations.<br/>

The very severe cyclonic storm, Vardah over westcentral and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal moved west-southwestwards and lay centred at about 420 km east-southeast of Nellore, 440 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam and 370 km east of Chennai. <br/><br/>It is very likely to move nearly west-southwestwards and weaken gradually from today evening onwards while moving towards north Tamil Nadu and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coast. <br/><br/>The cyclonic storm is very likely to cross north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coast, close to Chennai with a wind speed of 80 to 90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph by tomorrow afternoon bringing rain at most places with isolated heavy to very heavy falls over south coastal Andhra Pradesh, north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry from today evening and continue for subsequent 36 hours. <br/><br/>The intensity of the rainfall will increase gradually becoming heavy to very heavy at a few places and isolated extremely heavy rainfall is likely over Chennai, Thiruvallur and Kanchipuram districts of Tamil Nadu and Nellore and Prakasam districts of Andhra Pradesh in the next 24 hours. <br/><br/>Fishermen are advised not to venture to sea along and off south Andhra Pradesh, north Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts during next 48 hours as the sea condition would be rough to very rough along and off Andhra Pradesh and north Tamil Nadu coasts which will become high to phenomenal from tomorrow morning. <br/>'<br/>In Andhra Pradesh the district administrations in Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and Nellore have been alerted to take all precautionary measures. Two teams of National Disaster Response Force have already reached Nellore district. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, is constantly monitoring the situation from the command and control centre in Vijayawada.