Bhubaneswar: A fresh low-pressure area formed over the southeast Bay of Bengal Friday is gaining strength and is set to intensify into a cyclonic storm October 27, causing heavy rainfall across Odisha and some parts of West Bengal for three days starting Monday, officials said.
Bhubaneswar Meteorological Department Director Manorama Mohanty said the weather system has moved west-northwestwards and is likely to move in that direction further.
It will become a depression over southeast and adjoining central Bay of Bengal by October 25, a deep depression by October 26, and a cyclonic storm over the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal by the morning of October 27, Mohanty told reporters here.
Asked whether the system will make landfall on the Odisha coast, she said, It is too early to predict, but wherever it makes landfall, Odisha is likely to experience heavy to extremely heavy rainfall from October 27 to 29. The coastal districts are expected to be most affected.
The IMD has issued a yellow warning for light to moderate rainfall in 12 districts Friday, 21 districts each Saturday and Sunday, and across the entire state Monday.
While extending its forecast, the IMD issued ‘orange warning’ (be prepared), predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall for three districts — Ganjam, Gajapati and Rayagada — and ‘yellow’ warning (be aware), predicting heavy rain, in the remaining 27 districts Monday, the day on which the cyclonic story is expected to be formed in the sea.
For October 28, the IMD issued an orange warning for 10 districts of Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, Ganjam, Gajapti, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri. The remaining 20 districts were under the category of a yellow warning of heavy rainfall.
Similarly, October 29, the IMD issued an orange warning for six districts of Jagatsinghpur, Krendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore and Mayurbhanj and a yellow warning for 10 other districts.
Under its impact, Mohanty said that squally weather with wind speed reaching 35-45 kmph gusting to 55 kmph is likely to prevail along and off the Odisha coast from October 26. The wind speed is likely to increase to 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph from October 27 and 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph from October 28 till October 29.
As the sea condition is likely to be moderate to rough along and off the Odisha coast from October 26, the IMD advised fishermen not to venture into the Bay of Bengal during the period.
Meanwhile, Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the state government was closely monitoring the situation and is prepared to face any eventuality.
October is generally considered a cyclone-prone month. There is no need to panic. The government is fully prepared to handle the situation, Pujari said.
The system is also likely to bring heavy rainfall in the south Bengal districts of North and South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram and Howrah between October 28 and 30, weather officials said, adding that thunderstorms with lightning are likely in Kolkata and the adjoining Hooghly district October 28.
The north Bengal districts of Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, Dakshin Dinajpur and Malda are also likely to get heavy rain between October 29 and 30.