Cyclone ‘Sitrang’ In Next 6 Hours; Heavy Rain To Lash 6 Odisha Districts Tomorrow

Bhubaneswar:  The deep depression lay centred over westcentral and adjoining eastcentral Bay of Bengal and is about 650 km northwest of Sagar Island. It moved northwestwards with a speed of 17 kmph during the past 6 hours, and continue in northwestwards during the next 6 hours before intensifying into a cyclonic storm over central Bay of Bengal, Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre senior scientist Umshankar Das said on Sunday.

It would then recurve and move north-northeastwards and cross Bangladesh coast between Tinkona Island and Sandwip,  close to Barisal early on October 25, he added.

The system may attain a maximum sustained surface wind speed of 90kmph gusting to 110 kmph while making landfall as a severe cyclonic storm.

The weather department has issued a yellow warning for heavy rainfall for two days in Odisha. Heavy rain is likely to occur at one or two places in Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, and Puri from on Sunday. The downpour will continue at one or two places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, and Cuttack on Monday.

With an overcast sky, Bhubaneswar is likely to witness one or two spells of moderate rain on Sunday and Monday, the MeT office said.

Squally wind speed reaching 35-45 kmph gusting to 55 kmph is very likely along and off Odisha coast on October 23. It will be 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph on October 24 and 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph along and off Balasore district and 40 to 50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph along and off the remaining north coastal area of Odisha on October 25.

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea along and off Odisha coast and west-central and North Bay of Bengal till October 25. Local Cautionary Signal No.3 (DC-1) has been hoisted at all ports in the state.

According to private forecaster Skymet, the deep depression over the eastcentral Bay of Bengal will gradually move in north north-eastwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm over the central Bay of Bengal by October 24 morning. Thereafter, it will continue to move north north-eastwards and cross the Bangladesh coast in the early hours of October 25.

Rain activities are expected to commence over the north coast of Odisha by the evening or night of October 23. It will subside over coastal Odisha, however, Gangetic West Bengal may continue to receive intense showers until October 25, it added.