Bhubaneswar: The well-marked low-pressure area has concentrated into a depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal, the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre informed on Saturday afternoon.
“It lay centered at 11.30 am over the same region about 170 km west of Car Nicobar (Nicobar Islands), 300 km south-southwest of Port Blair (Andaman Islands), 1270 km southeast of Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and 1300 km south-southeast of Puri (Odisha),” it added.
According to the MeT office, the system is likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm over eastcentral Bay of Bengal on May 8. The cyclone may attain a maximum wind speed of 100 kmph over the Bay of Bengal on May 9 and 10.
Earlier in the day, India Meteorological Department (IMD) DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that the storm is unlikely to make landfall in Odisha or Andhra Pradesh. “It will continue to move northwestwards till May 10 evening and thereafter recurve in the sea towards north-northeastwards. After moving along the Odisha coast, the system will gradually weaken due to cold waters in the North Bay of Bengal,” he said.
He further said that the condition of the sea near Odisha coast will start becoming rough from May 9, and wind speed will increase up to 80-90 kmph on May 10. “In the coastal areas, the wind speed will be 40-50 kmph and gusting up to 60 kmph. The maximum wind speed will be 50-60 kmph. The windy conditions will continue till May 11 and reduce thereafter,” he said.
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According to IMD’s special bulletin, light to moderate rainfall is very likely to commence at many places in coastal Odisha on May 10 evening. Heavy rainfall (7 -11cm) is very likely to occur at one or two places in Gajapati, Ganjam, and Puri. The following day, heavy rain will lash one or two places in Ganjam, Khurda, Puri, Jagatsinghpur and Cuttack.
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Squally wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph is likely along and off Odisha coast, it added.
WIND WARNING
May 7: Squally wind speed reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph is very likely to prevail over Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Andaman Sea and adjoining southeast & eastcentral Bay of Bengal.
May 7: Squally wind speed reaching 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph is likely to prevail over Southeast & adjoining eastcentral Bay of Bengal and would gradually increase becoming gale wind speed reaching 65-75 gusting to 85 kmph over the same region from May 8 evening. Squally wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph is likely to prevail over Andaman Sea and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
May 9: Gale wind speed reaching 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph is likely to prevail over central parts of Bay of Bengal during morning hours and would gradually increase thereafter becoming 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph over the same region.
May 10: Gale wind speed reaching 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph is likely to prevail around the system center over Westcentral and adjoining Northwest & eastcentral Bay of Bengal. Squally wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph is likely over coastal districts of north Andhra Pradesh.
May 11: Gale wind speed reaching 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph is likely to prevail over northwest and adjoining Westcentral Bay of Bengal. Squally wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph is likely over coastal districts of Odisha and adjoining coastal north Andhra Pradesh.
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