The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy rain in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on 14, 15 and 16 November. Its subdivision bulletin issued on Saturday also lists thunderstorms, lightning and squall-related hazards for these three days.
What the warning covers
The bulletin continues the thunderstorm and lightning warning into 17 November. These are forecasts of possible hazardous conditions across the subdivision, rather than reports that every island has already received heavy rain.
In its Saturday morning report, Akashvani News said IMD had advised fishermen to stay out of the Andaman Sea, waters along and off the islands, and the southeast Bay of Bengal until Sunday, 15 November.
Precautions around water and open areas
People planning outdoor activities should check the latest local forecast before setting out. Government lightning-safety guidance advises moving into a safe building when thunder is heard and keeping away from water bodies. It also cautions against sheltering under trees or beside electrical poles.
For boat users, the guidance is to return to land and seek safe shelter during a thunderstorm. A photograph of calm seas, or clear weather at one location, should not be used to judge conditions elsewhere in the warned area.
Readers should distinguish the rainfall forecast from the separate marine advice when deciding whether to undertake a journey. The dated IMD bulletin linked above is the primary reference for this report.
More national updates are available in our National section.
File photo: a field boat in the Andaman Islands, 26 December 2015. Photo: Vardhan Patankar / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and branded by News Desk Report; image adaptations retain this licence. This is not a photograph of the current weather.