Bhubaneswar: A cyclonic storm is likely to brew in the Bay of Bengal and cross close to the Odisha coast in the last week of October, weather forecaster Sarat Sahu said on Monday.
Speaking to mediapersons, Sahu said besides the low-pressure area likely to form over the north Andaman Sea and its neighbourhood, another system is developing to its south in the Bay of Bengal.
The southern system is likely to weaken towards October 21-22. But under its influence, the upper low pressure is likely to turn into a depression and then intensify into a cyclonic storm. It will move in the western or southwestern direction towards Tamil Nadu.
“Before reaching the Tamil Nadu coast, it is likely to change the path and move north or northwestwards on October 22. It is most likely to follow the path of cyclone Fani after October 21. Most of the models indicate the system would concentrate into a cyclone and reach a higher category in intensity,” he said.
Stating that there is a high possibility of the system being converted into a cyclone, Sahu said it is likely to cross the Andhra-Odisha coast or Odisha coast or Odisha-West Bengal coast between October 24 and 26.
“Its intensity will be known around October 22. However, the coastal areas of Odisha will experience heavy rainfall under its influence between October 23 and 26,” he added.
Earlier in the day, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said coastal districts of Odisha are likely to witness an increase in rainfall activity from October 19 under the influence of a cyclonic circulation, which has formed over the Andaman Sea and its neighbourhood.
The system is likely to intensify into a low pressure over southeast and adjoining eastcentral Bay of Bengal around October 20 and become more marked after moving westnorthwestwards towards west-central and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal during the subsequent 48 hours, it added.
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There is no possibility of cyclogenesis (depression) during the next 120 hours, the IMD said in its Tropical Weather Outlook for North Indian Ocean.