A tropical cyclone passed over northern Sri Lanka, where security forces are fighting Tamil Tiger rebels, and is heading toward India with heavy rains and winds of 83 kilometers (52 miles) per hour, the U.S. Navy said.

The eye of Tropical Cyclone 06B was over the Palk Strait 24 kilometers northwest of the city of Jaffna on the northern tip of Sri Lanka at 5:30 a.m. today, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center said on its Web site.The storm was moving north-northwest at 7.4 kph with winds gusting to 102 kph.

The cyclone is forecast to turn west and cross the southern coast of India in the vicinity of the town of Atirampattinam before 5:30 p.m. local time today. Sri Lanka’s Defense Ministry reported yesterday that troops were fighting through monsoon rains to capture territory held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.