Authorities delayed evacuation of thousands of people to higher ground as a cyclone remained stationary in the Bay of Bengal and was unlikely to hit India's southern coast for another day, an official said Thursday. The storm was located nearly 350 kilometers (220 miles) southeast of Madras, the capital of Tamil Nadu state, and was likely to intensify and hit the coast on Friday night, said V. Subhramanyam, director of the Cyclone Warning Center. It was originally expected to hit southern India on Thursday. Weather in the southern parts of coastal Andhra Pradesh state was largely normal. Cyclones often hit Andhra Pradesh state in October and November. "The impact of the storm may be felt when it gets closer to the coast on Friday. There will be gale winds with a speed of up to 90 kilometers (55 miles) per hour," Subhramanyam was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. With irrigation reservoirs already full from monsoon rains, further flooding could breach some of them, he said.
