Tropical Cyclone 04B Brings Rain to Southern India

Tropical Cyclone 04B brought rain to parts of southern India on Thursday. At 4:00 a.m. EST on Thursday the center of Tropical Cyclone 04B was located at latitude 13.1°N and longitude 80.6°W which put it about 30 miles (50 km) east of Chennai, India. The tropical cyclone was moving toward the west-northwest at 9 m.p.h. (14 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 1003 mb.

A low pressure system over the western Bay of Bengal strengthened on Thursday morning and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center designated the system as Tropical Cyclone 04B. The India Meteorological Department classified the system as a depression. The center of Tropical Cyclone 04B was located near Chennai, India. The strongest thunderstorms were occurring in bands west of the center of circulation and along the northern periphery of the tropical cyclone. Bands in other parts of the circulation consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 40 miles (65 km/h) from the center of the tropical cyclone.

The center of Tropical Cyclone 04B will make landfall on the southern coast of India near Chennai in a few hours. The tropical cyclone will bring gusty winds to the northern coast of Tamil Nadu and the southern coast of Andhra Pradesh. Tropical Cyclone 04B will drop locally heavy rain over parts or northern Tamil Nadu, southern Andhra Pradesh and southern Karnataka as it moves inland. The tropical cyclone will weaken gradually after it moves inland over southern India.