Cyclone Maha likely to hit Lakshadweep; see Live tracker

Two cyclonic storms are brewing in the Arabian Sea in a rare occurrence and one of them likely to batter the Lakshadweep archipelago in the next 24 hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Wednesday. IMD Director General Mritunjay Mohapatra said the deep depression in the Arabian Sea intensified into cyclonic storm 'Maha' on Wednesday evening.

By November 2, it is also expected to intensify into a "very severe cyclonic storm", the Cyclone Warning Division of the IMD said. It has given a forecast of light to moderate rainfall at most places, with heavy falls at isolated places very likely over Kerala, Lakshadweep, coastal Karnataka and south Tamil Nadu during next two days.

It has also issued a warning to fishermen to suspend fishing operations over the Comorin-Maldives and Lakshadweep area and along and off Kerala-Karnataka coasts during the next 48 hours. "The fishermen are advised not to venture into the southeast Arabian Sea till October 31 and over the east-central Arabian Sea till November 4," it added.

Here is the live wind tracker:

Indian government's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has also issued warnings as Cyclone Maha intensifies.

Cyclonic Storm MAHA (Pronounced as M'maha) over Lakshadweep and adjoining southeast Arabian Sea: CYCLONE WARNING FOR LAKSHADWEEP ISLANDS (REDMESSAGE):#CycloneMaha pic.twitter.com/0Y4jakuVbv

— NDMA India (@ndmaindia) October 31, 2019