Cyclone 'Sitrang': Deep Depression Over Bay Of Bengal To Intensify Into Cyclonic Storm In Next 12 Hrs

The deep depression is likely to move northwestwards in 12 hours and intensify into a cyclonic storm over the central Bay of Bengal.

New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday said, that the depression over the eastcentral Bay of Bengal moved northwestwards and has intensified into a deep depression. It is likely to move northwestwards in 12 hours and intensify into a cyclonic storm over the central Bay of Bengal. The deep depression lay centred about 580 km northwest of Port Blair, 700 km south of Sagar Island and 830 km south of Barisal, Bangladesh. 

"The system is then very likely to re-curve gradually north-northeastwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm over the central Bay of Bengal by October 24 morning," the IMD stated on Saturday.

It would continue to move north-northeastwards and cross the Bangladesh coast, between Tinkona Island and Sandwip, around October 25 morning, the IMD forecast.

The cyclone has been given the name 'Sitrang' by Thailand.

The IMD has advised fishermen not to venture into the deep sea area of central Bay of Bengal from Saturday, and along and off Odisha and Bengal coasts between October 23 and 26.

Widespread Rainfall Likely In Bengal & Odisha

Both Bengal and Odisha are likely to experience fairly widespread rainfall due to the weather system. 

Sanjib Bandopadhyay, the deputy director-general of the Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkata told PTI that isolated places in North-24 Parganas and South-24 Parganas districts will get heavy to very heavy rainfall on October 24. Paschim Medinipur may experience heavy showers on that day.

The following day, Nadia, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas are likely to get heavy rainfall, Bandopadhyay said. On both days, Kolkata, Howrah and Hooghly may experience moderate rainfall, he informed.

Ferry services have been suspended in the Sundarban area, he said. Water-based sporting activities, too, have been put on hold in the beach towns of Mandarmoni and Digha, Bandopadhyay added.

Meanwhile, in Bhubaneswar, the Regional Meteorological Centre issued heavy rainfall warning for the districts of Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Keonjhar, Cuttack, and Khurda.

The Odisha government has kept its men and machinery ready as the weatherman predicted heavy rainfall in the state's coastal districts, said Special Relief Commissioner P K Jena.

Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep Jena said that the state government, as part of its preparedness, was in touch with different agencies such as the NDRF, Indian Coast Guard, Indian Navy, and Fire Services for rescue operations, if need be.

Jena added the cyclone was likely to go past the Odisha coast, maintaining a distance of around 200 km from Dhamra Port.

(With Agency Inputs)