Cyclone Fengal May Form Over Bay On Nov 28-29, Cross Coasts As Deep Depression; Check Track & Intensity

Bhubaneswar: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday said that there is a possibility of marginal intensification of the deep depression into a cyclonic storm with wind speed 65-75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph over southwest Bay of Bengal during the evening of November 28 to November 29 morning.

“The deep depression over southwest Bay of Bengal moved northwards with a speed of 2 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centred at 5.30 am today, about 110 km east-northeast of Trincomalee, 310 km southeast of Nagappattinam, 410 km southeast of Puducherry and 480 km south-southeast of Chennai,” the weather agency said in its morning bulletin.

It further stated that the system is very likely to move nearly north-northwestwards skirting Sri Lanka coast during the next 12 hours. “Thereafter, it will continue to move north-northwestwards and cross north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram around morning of November 30 as a deep depression with a wind speed of 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph. There is a possibility of marginal intensification of the deep depression into a Cyclonic Storm with wind speed 65-75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph over southwest Bay of Bengal during the evening of November 28 to November 29 morning,” it added.

Forecast track and intensity

If the system becomes a cyclone, it would be named ‘Fengal’, a name suggested by Saudi Arabia. It is a word rooted in Arabic and represents a blend of linguistic tradition and cultural identity, reflecting the regional diversity within the WMO/UNESCAP naming panel.

Rain forecast

Heavy to very heavy rainfall may occur at isolated places in coastal Tamil Nadu & Puducherry during November 28-30 and heavy rainfall at isolated places over coastal Tamil Nadu & Puducherry on December 1-2. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is also likely at isolated places in coastal Andhra Pradesh & Yanam during November 28-30. Heavy rainfall is also likely at isolated places in Andaman & Nicobar Islands on November 30, Rayalaseema during November 28-30 and Kerala & Mahe during November-December 2.

Due to heavy rains, holiday has been declared for all government and private schools, government-aided schools and colleges in Puducherry and Karaikal on November 28.

Sea condition

Rough to very rough sea condition is likely along and off Tamil Nadu-Puducherry and South Andhra Pradesh coasts till November 29. Rough to very rough sea condition is also likely over adjoining west central Bay of Bengal till November 29. Sea condition is likely to be rough to very rough over southwest Bay of Bengal & adjoining areas of westcentral Bay of Bengal, Gulf of Mannar & along and off Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Sri Lanka coasts till 1200 UTC (5 hours and 30 minutes behind India Standard Time) of November 30. The sea condition could be very rough to high over southwest Bay of Bengal during 1200 UTC of November 28 to November 29.

Impact on Odisha

Though the system will not have any direct impact over Odisha, it will lead to moisture incursion and trigger rains in parts of the state for three days from November 28.

Light rain may occur at one or two places in Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Ganjam and Gajapati districts on November 28, coastal Odisha, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri on November 29, and coastal Odisha, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri and Mayurbhanj on November 30.