‘Cyclone Sitrang unlikely to impact weather in Bihar’

PATNA: Cyclone Sitrang in the Bay of Bengal is unlikely to impact the weather system in Bihar. The cyclone, which was in the form of a low-pressure area over north Andaman Sea and the south-east Bay of Bengal on Friday, is likely to reach West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts on October 25.
Ashish Kumar Singh, meteorologist at Patna Meteorological Centre said, “As of now, we don’t find any direct impact of the cyclone in Bihar as it is likely to move north-northwestward towards West Bengal and Bangladesh. If there is any impact of the cyclonic storm in Bihar, it may happen only due to its outer band and in the form of isolated thunderstorm.”
The cyclonic storm may lead to change in temperature readings in Bihar. Singh said the cyclonic storm may lead a change in the wind direction from dry westerly at present to moist and warm easterlies.
Patna Meteorological Centre on Friday stated that minimum temperature is expected to be in the range of 18-20 degrees C in south Bihar on Monday and Tuesday.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated on Friday evening that under the influence of the upcoming cyclonic storm, scattered to widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy rains and thunderstorm are very likely over Odisha on October 24-25. The Gangetic West Bengal is expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places on October 24-25 and isolated extremely heavy rainfall on October 26.