Bhubaneswar: Cyclone ‘Sitrang’ is likely to take the shape of. severe cyclonic storm in the next six hours and cross Bangladesh coast between Tinkona Island and Sandwip close to Barisal in the early hours of October 25, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) informed on Monday.
Sundarbans area in the coastal region of South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas has been identified as “most vulnerable to devastation” with the cyclone moving closer (around 300 km) to West Bengal. Coastal districts of West Bengal like South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas and East Midnapore are likely to witness gusty wind and heavy rainfall from late Monday evening. The speed of wind could be between 70-80 kmph in these coastal districts.
The system is expected to gain a maximum sustained surface wind speed of 90-100 gusting to 110 by tonight.
The MeT office has forecast light to moderate rain/thundershower at many places in Balasore, Bhadrak and a few places in the rest of north coastal Odisha and Mayurbhanj and isolated places in Keonjhar, Dhenkanal and south coastal Odisha. There is also some possibility of isolated heavy rainfall in Balasore and Bhadrak.
Squally wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph is likely to prevail along and off Odisha coast this evening. The following morning wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph is likely to prevail along and off North Odisha coast. Sea is likely to be rough to very rough along and off Odisha coast till October 25 morning, the IMD said while advising fishermen against venturing into the sea during this period.
