Tropical Cyclone Vardah Forms Over the Bay of Bengal; Eyes South India
By Jared McWilliams
Kansas City, December 8 (World Weather Inc.) – Tropical Cyclone Vardah has formed over the Bay of Bengal and will impact India Sunday 
nearly ten days after Tropical Cyclone Nada impacted the far south. The storm system will intensify as it slowly moves toward India over the next few days. Landfall is expected to the north of where Nada moved inland at the beginning of this month. The tropical cyclone will make landfall over northeastern Andhra Pradesh increasing rainfall and the potential for flash flooding throughout the region. Rainfall will increase over surrounding areas as well, but moisture totals will be light. The rain will disrupt late season harvesting of summer crops and late planting of winter crops.
At 2100 GMT, Tropical Cyclone Vardah was located near 11.9 north, 91.3 east, or approximately 630 miles south of Chittagong, Bangladesh. The system was tracking to the northwest at 5 mph. Maximum sustained wind speeds have reached 50 mph with stronger wind gusts. Movement will continue to the northwest today and Friday before turning westward and approaching India late this weekend and early next week.
Vardah will continue to intensify as it moves over the Bay of Bengal through Saturday. The storm system is expected to reach maximum wind speeds of a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale as the storm rotates over the Bay of Bengal this weekend.
Eventual landfall is expected over northeastern Andhra Pradesh late Sunday and/or early Monday. By the time the storm makes landfall, some weakening will have occurred as it moves closer to the coast of India and the system will quickly weaken as it moves over India. The storm system should weaken to a post tropical low pressure system before exiting off the west coast of India during the middle of next week. The rapid weakening of the system will result in concern over wind damage to structures and crops near and along the coast, but areas inland should not experience damage.
The main concern with Vardah will be the high rainfall intensity and totals over portions of Andhra Pradesh and into surrounding portions of southern India where some flash flooding will result. Rainfall totals are expected to be greatest over northeastern Andhra Pradesh near the coast and along the path of the storm center where some 1.00 to 3.00 inches and locally more will occur. Rainfall will increase over surrounding southern India locations as well where moisture totals will range from 0.10 to 0.80 inch and local totals in excess of 1.00 inch. Rainfall will also increase along the western coast of India as the storm system moves off the coast and some totals will exceed 1.00 inch.
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