Seven districts on alert as storm keeps all guessing

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Government on Wednesday put seven districts on alert after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an advisory for this season’s second cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal.

The Special Relief Commissioner’s office asked Collectors of Ganjam, Puri, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Balasore to remain prepared to handle any emergency arising out of post-monsoon’s first cyclone.

While Global Forecast System (GFS) model indicated that the tropical storm will skirt the Indian coastline and make landfall in Bangladesh on Tuesday, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) suggested it will cross the north Odisha coast.

Private weather forecaster Skymet said the low-pressure area will have the “leisure of long sea travel, essential for gathering strength and size.” Favourable environmental conditions might trigger rapid intensification and make it a categorised storm, it cautioned.

Under influence of the cyclonic circulation near the Andaman Sea, a low-pressure area is likely to form over the southeast and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal within 24 hours. The system may move west-northwestward and turn into a depression by Saturday morning. The system is expected to intensify into a cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal in the subsequent 48 hours.

The system’s intensity and path can be precisely ascertained once it concentrates into a depression, said Bhubaneswar Meteorological Department Scientist Umasankar Das adding, the IMD is continuously monitoring the system.

The national forecaster predicted heavy rainfall in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Puri districts on Sunday while light showers are expected over coastal districts and remaining districts during the period. Rainfall intensity, however, will increase on Monday and Tuesday.

Fishermen in the deep sea area have been asked to return to the coast by Saturday and advised against venturing from Sunday onwards till further instructions. This season’s first cyclone ‘Asani’ had weakened over the Bay of Bengal and landed in AP as a deep depression in May.

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Government on Wednesday put seven districts on alert after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an advisory for this season’s second cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal. The Special Relief Commissioner’s office asked Collectors of Ganjam, Puri, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Balasore to remain prepared to handle any emergency arising out of post-monsoon’s first cyclone. While Global Forecast System (GFS) model indicated that the tropical storm will skirt the Indian coastline and make landfall in Bangladesh on Tuesday, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) suggested it will cross the north Odisha coast. Private weather forecaster Skymet said the low-pressure area will have the “leisure of long sea travel, essential for gathering strength and size.” Favourable environmental conditions might trigger rapid intensification and make it a categorised storm, it cautioned. Under influence of the cyclonic circulation near the Andaman Sea, a low-pressure area is likely to form over the southeast and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal within 24 hours. The system may move west-northwestward and turn into a depression by Saturday morning. The system is expected to intensify into a cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal in the subsequent 48 hours. The system’s intensity and path can be precisely ascertained once it concentrates into a depression, said Bhubaneswar Meteorological Department Scientist Umasankar Das adding, the IMD is continuously monitoring the system. The national forecaster predicted heavy rainfall in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Puri districts on Sunday while light showers are expected over coastal districts and remaining districts during the period. Rainfall intensity, however, will increase on Monday and Tuesday. Fishermen in the deep sea area have been asked to return to the coast by Saturday and advised against venturing from Sunday onwards till further instructions. This season’s first cyclone ‘Asani’ had weakened over the Bay of Bengal and landed in AP as a deep depression in May.