Cyclone Thane nears southern shores

Cyclone Thane is likely to cross the southern coastline on Friday morning as high tidal waves lashed the coast of Andhra Pradesh.

The cyclonic storm, forecast to crash into Chennai on Thursday morning, has moved west-southwestward and is now expected to cross the Tamil Nadu coast on Friday morning, the Met office said.

The cyclone moved west-southwestward on the Bay of Bengal and laid centered about 250 km east-southeast of Chennai on Thursday afternoon.

It is centred about 270 km of Puducherry, the Met office said.

Meanwhile, owners of more than 100 commercial fishing trawlers appealed to the Tamil Nadu government and the Indian Coast Guard to rescue around 700 fishermen who are stranded near Andhra Pradesh´s Nizampatnam Bay due to the cyclone.

The trawlers had ventured in to the sea around five days back from the Kasimedu Fishing Harbour .

Earlier, issuing an "Orange" alert, one step below the Red alert, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday said that the "very severe" cyclonic storm over southwest Bay of Bengal moved away and lay centered about 300 km east-southeast of Chennai as of 5:30 am.

"The system is likely to move westwards and cross north Tamil Nadu coast between Nagapattinam and Chennai, close to Puducherry around morning of 30th December 2011," it said in a message posted on its website.

"However, as the cyclonic storm will come further close to coast, there is probability of slight weakening before landfall," it added.

Under the influence of this storm, rainfall at most places with isolated heavy rainfall is likely over north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south coastal Andhra Pradesh from Thursday morning onwards, the office said.

The wind speed is likely to touch 120 kmph mark along north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coast area by Thursday night as the cyclone advances closer to the coast in the upcoming hours.

The met department advised fishermen along north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh coasts not to venture into sea. Those who are out at sea were advised to return to the coast.

Officials said that extensive damage to thatched roof and huts was expected over north coastal Tamil Nadu and south coastal Andhra Pradesh besides minor damage to power and communication line due to uprooting of large avenue trees.