Deep depression over Bay of Bengal likely to intensify into cyclonic storm, cross Bangla coast

Bhubaneswar, Nov 16 (PTI) The deep depression over the Bay of Bengal, which is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm by Friday, will have no major impact on Odisha as it will move towards the Bangladesh coast, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said.

The deep depression was moving north-northeastwards at a speed of 20 kmph, IMD said on Thursday.

Currently, it lay centred around 420km east-southeast of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, 410 km from Digha in West Bengal, 540 km from Kheppura in Bangladesh and 270 km south-southeast of Paradip in Odisha at 1pm.

'The system is likely to continue to move north-northeastwards, intensify further into a cyclonic storm over the next 24 hours and cross the Bangladesh coast between Mongla and Khepupara in the early hours of Saturday,' the IMD said.

'Guidance from various numerical models is indicating north-northeastwards movement towards Bangladesh coast,' the national weather agency added.

Uma Shankar Das, a senior scientist at the Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, said though the system is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm by Friday, it will have no major impact on Odisha other than some rain in the coastal region.

'The system has started to re-curve. There is every possibility of intense heavy rainfall in two Odisha districts, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur, on Thursday and a yellow warning has been issued. Neighbouring districts are also likely to experience rainfall,' Das said.

He also said there will be no major changes in the maximum and minimum temperatures in the coming days in Odisha.

Under its influence, many parts of Odisha, particularly the coastal region, will experience wind blowing between 40 kmph and 70 kmph, the IMD official said.

Meanwhile, Odisha’s Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) has put all the district collectors on alert even as the IMD made it clear that the possible cyclone will have no such major impact on the state.

Fishermen were advised against venturing into deep seas till November 18 as sea conditions will remain rough during the period. PTI ACD AAM MNB