Hyderabad, Dec 16 (UNI) The Cyclonic storm ‘PHETHAI’ over southwest Bay of Bengal moved further northnorthwestwards with a speed of 16 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centred at 0830 hrs on Sunday over southwest & adjoining Westcentral Bay of Bengal near latitude 11.8°North and longitude 84.0°East, about 460 km northeast of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka), 430 km east-southeast of Chennai (Tamil Nadu), 560 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and 600 km south-southeast Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh).
It is very likely to intensify further into a 'Severe Cyclonic Storm' during the next 24 hours.
It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kakinada during December 17 afternoon.