The Met Office has warned fishermen not to venture into the deep-sea area of the central Bay of Bengal from Saturday and along and off Odisha and West Bengal coasts between October 23 and 26. (File)Cyclone Sitrang Live Updates: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday that Cyclone Sitrang will develop over the east-central Bay of Bengal around the late evening hours. On Sunday morning, the prevailing depression strengthened into a deep depression (wind speed 50-60 kmph, gusting to 70 kmph).
The cyclone is expected to cross Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal coast on Tuesday morning (October 25). According to the forecast, Sundarbans, on both sides of the international border, is likely to receive the maximum impact.
West Bengal and Odisha are on alert over the possible cyclone, the first to form in the Bay of Bengal in the month of October since 2018. Coastal districts of Odisha and West Bengal will receive widespread heavy rainfall till Tuesday, with moderate to heavy rainfall likely over southern Assam, east Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura on Monday, the IMD said. Further, extremely heavy rainfall will lash Tripura and Mizoram on Tuesday and Wednesday. Rough sea conditions with squally wind speeds ranging between 35-45 kmph gusting to 55 kmph along Odisha and West Bengal coasts, Andaman Islands and adjoining north Andaman Sea would prevail on Sunday.
Heavy rain and wind gusts up to 100 kmph are likely to hit the coastal areas of West Bengal as a deep depression over Bay of Bengal intensifies into a possible cyclone by Sunday evening, dampening Kali Puja and Diwali festivities in large parts of the state.
It is very likely to bring heavy to very heavy rain in coastal districts of South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas, and heavy rainfall in East and West Midnapore on Monday, while Kolkata, Howrah and Hooghly are likely to receive moderate rain on Monday and Tuesday, the Met Department said in a bulletin. Heavy rain will occur in North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Nadia on Tuesday, it said.
A Kolkata Municipal Corporation official said it has initiated steps to tackle any situation that may emerge owing to the impending cyclone in the metropolis, including keeping all pumping stations active and making arrangements for shifting residents from dilapidated buildings to local schools or community halls. (PTI)
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Sunday that Cyclone Sitrang will develop over the east-central Bay of Bengal around the late evening hours. It will be the first October cyclone to develop in the Bay of Bengal after Cyclone Titli in 2018, and is expected to make landfall near Bangladesh’s Barisal on Tuesday morning. (Read More)
Coastal districts of Odisha and West Bengal will receive widespread heavy rainfall till Tuesday, with moderate to heavy rainfall likely over southern Assam, east Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura on Monday, the IMD said.
Meaniwhile, heavy rainfall at isolated palces over Andaman and Nicobar Islands tis also expected today.
According to the IMD bulletin, squally wind speed reaching 35-45 kmph gusting to 55 kmph is very likely along & off Odisha and West Bengal coasts and Andaman Islands and adjoining north Andaman Sea on Sunday.
Depression over eastcentral Bay of Bengal moved northwestwards with a speed of 17 kmph during past 6 hours, intensified into a Deep Depression and lay centered at 5:30 am as of today, the 23rd October over the same region near latitude 15.4N and longitude 89.0E, about 580 km northwest of Port Blair, 700 km south of Sagar Island and 830 km south of Barisal (Bangladesh).
It is very likely to move northwestwards during next 12 hrs and intensify into a cyclonic storm over central Bay of Bengal. Thereafter, it would recurve and move north-northeastwards and cross Bangladesh coast between Tinkona Island and Sandwip around 25th October early morning.