Cyclonic Storm Brewing In Bay Of Bengal, May Reach Bengal-Odisha Coast By May 20

Bhubaneswar: A low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal is likely to form by Wednesday and intensify into a deep depression by May 16. The system’s intensification into a cyclonic storm is not ruled out.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin, the cyclonic circulation over the south Andaman Sea has extended up to mid-tropospheric level. Under its influence, a low-pressure area is likely to form over southeast Bay of Bengal in next 48 hours.

Dr. Sarat Chandra Sahu, Director of Centre for Environment and Climate (CEC) of SOA Deemed to be University said though the low pressure was likely to form tomorrow, its intensification could be slow due to northwesterly upper atmospheric wind over Odisha and neighbouring states.

The system may intensify into a deep depression over southwest Bay of Bengal away from Tamil Nadu coast from May 16 night, he said. As per the initial analysis, its movement over the Bay parallel to the Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast may continue up to May 19. It may come closer to West Bengal-Odisha coast on May 19 or 20.

Its subsequent intensification into a cyclonic storm could not be ruled out as favourable meteorological factors like low wind shear and sea surface temperature of around 30 degrees C could help it to intensify, Sahu said.

Low wind shear, which means the difference of wind speed between the upper and lower atmosphere, is required for intensification of the system. At present, the wind speed at the upper atmosphere was very high whereas wind speed at lower atmosphere was low, Sahu explained.

He further said that the nor’wester (Kalbaisakhi) activity experienced in several districts is likely to continue for the next 24 hours in south Odisha districts due to flow of northwesterly dry and hot wind in the upper atmosphere and warm and humid flow in the lower atmosphere over the state and nearby regions.

Referring to the day temperature, Sahu said that the mercury would hover between 35 to 40 degree Celsius in the coastal districts till Wednesday and over 40 degrees in interior districts till May 18 with some areas registering near 45 degree Celsius thereafter. On the other hand, hot and humid weather will prevail over the coastal districts from May 16 onwards apart from the rain in this districts between May 18 and 20, he added.