Bhubaneswar: As predicted by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclonic circulation formed over the east-central Bay of Bengal intensified into a low-pressure area on Saturday morning.
The Director General of IMD, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, said the low pressure is very likely to concentrate into a depression over the east-central Bay of Bengal in the next 24 hours on Sunday morning.
The sytem will likely move north-northwestwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm by May 24, Mohapatra informed, adding that it will further into a very severe cyclonic storm during subsequent 24 hours.
The system will reach North Bay of Bengal near West Bengal and adjoining North Odisha and Bangladesh coasts by the morning of May 26 and possibly make landfall the same evening, the IMD chief said.
He said that the wind velocity of the very severe cyclonic storm at the time of the landfall will be 120 km-165 km gusting up to 185 kmph which will be felt in a radius of 50-100 km.
He said that the exact place of the landfall of the cyclonic storm, the amount of rainfall and the high tidal waves can be correctly predicted after the low pressure intensifies into a depression on May 23.
Mohapatra further said that the rainfall activity along the Odisha coast mostly the north coastal districts is most likely to start from May 25 with the light to moderate rain with heavy rain in the north interior districts on May 26 and 27.
Under the influence of the cyclonic storm, the wind speed will be around 40-50 kmph along the Odisha coast from the evening on May 24 and gradually increase to 50-60 kmph from the morning on May 25. The wind speed will be even more along the districts near the border of West Bengal on May 27.
“Due to the inclement weather, the sea condition will become turbulent from May 21 and the wind speed in the sea will be 40-50 kmph with gusting up to 60 70 kmph on May 23 and 24, the fishermen are advised not to venture into the deep sea in the east-central Bay of Bengal, south-east Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea between May 21 and 24. Besides, as the sea condition from May 24 to 27 will be very rough in the North Bay of Bengal and the nearby areas of the Central Bay of Bengal, the fishermen who are already in the deep sea are advised to return to the coast by May 23,” Mohapatra added.
He said that the IMD has advised the shipping community and ports to monitor their activities accordingly.
