APCEDI ALERT Sri Lanka-BOBW Tropical Cyclone 05B, #1: Tropical Cyclone Develops in Andaman Islands, Tracking NW to Sri Lanka and Southeast India

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) and the Sri Lanka and India Departments of Meteorology are issuing guidance on a newly formed cyclone in the Bay of Bengal. The JTWC has issued its first Cyclone Warning for the system named 05B. The centre of circulation is near Port Blair in the South Andamans and is causing heavy rains, winds and storms and localised flooding over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The system, which is currently at tropical storm strength, is now slowly drifting northwest towards the Southeast Coast of India towards the Chennai area. On this track the cyclone would pass north of Sri Lanka, but the island could still receive heavy rain over the next few days. Any shift in the cyclone's track to the south would bring Sri Lanka increasingly into the main cone of danger from this cyclone.

All interests, including overseas aid workers and operations in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sri Lanka and Southeast India need to closely watch the progress of this cyclone as it moves northwest. All Government and aid workers (including all AFAP, NSRC, RRI and other affiliated aid workers) along the Sri Lankan coast and in flood prone areas, should continue to carefully monitor this system and be prepared to assist communities in which they are working should the situation warrant and the Government of Sri Lanka issue any flood or storm warnings.

FROM JOINT TYPHOON WARNING CENTER
http://www.npmoc.navy.mil/jtwc.html

TROPICAL CYCLONE (TC) 05B, LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 640 NM EAST OF MADRAS, INDIA, HAS TRACKED WESTWARD AT 10 KNOTS OVER THE PAST 06 HOURS. ANIMATED ENHANCED INFRARED SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATES CONTINUED ORGANIZATION OF DEEP CONVECTION ASSOCIATED WITH A WELL DEFINED LOW LEVEL CIRCULATION CENTER. THE SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK WEST ALONG THE SOUTHWESTERN PERIPHERY OF A LOW TO MID-LEVEL STEERING RIDGE. THE SYSTEM WILL INTENSIFY AT A NEAR CLIMATOLOGICAL RATE BEFORE INTERACTING WITH LAND AND ENCOUNTERING INCREASED VERTICAL WIND SHEAR AT THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. THIS WARNING SUPERSEDES AND CANCELS REF A, NAVPACMETOCCEN 271151ZNOV2005 TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION ALERT (WTIO21 PGTW 271200). MAXIMUM SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT AT 271800Z IS 8 FEET. NEXT WARNINGS AT 280900Z AND 282100Z.//.


SRI LANKA DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY
http://www.meteo.slt.lk/wxfc.html

22 November 2005 for 22-23 November 2005
To be updated shortly.

INDIAN DEPARTMENT OF METEOROLOGY
http://www.imd.gov.in/

Morning’s low pressure area over south Andaman Sea and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal is now well marked. Associated upper air cyclonic circulation extends upto 3.1 km a.s.l. Under its influence rainfall is likely to occur at most places with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall over Andaman & Nicobar Islands during next 2-3 days.

WARNING
Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall likely over Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

APCEDI will continue to monitor the progress of this cyclone. While APCEDI does not normally monitor cyclones in the Bay of Bengal, given AFAP's tsunami relief effort and that of many agencies in the region, APCEDI will continue to bring reports from this region, as warranted, for the next year or longer if needed.

Kevin Vang
APCEDI Coordinator
http://www.afap.org/apcedi/

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