Low pressure over Bay of Bengal may lead to cyclone: IMD

Bhubaneswar: A cyclone could be brewing over the southeast Bay of Bengal, the IMD warned on Sunday. A well-marked low-pressure area persists over the Strait of Malacca and adjoining South Andaman Sea and is expected to move west-northwest and intensify into a depression by Monday. This could strengthen into a cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal within 48 hours, the IMD’s latest bulletin stated.

However, the exact path and impact remain uncertain. “It is expected to become clear in subsequent days, after the system intensify into depression or more,” said Manorama Mohanty, scientist and head of regional IMD centre in the city.


Mohanty said dry weather would continue to prevail over the state till Nov 29 with chances of rain. Minimum temperature would also continue to witness rising trend for the next four-five days.

Sarat Sahu, former director of regional IMD centre claimed there has been no instance of a cyclone over the Bay of Bengal crossing the Odisha coast during winter, especially after Nov 15, in the last 100 years.

“There is uncertainty on the possible system crossing the coast. Moreover, there is no uniformity or consistency among different models and they change frequently in the last few days amid fast charging weather developments,” Sahu pointed out.

There is also the possibility of change in wind pattern and night temperature dropping again, which may influence of the system.

Revenue and disaster management minister Suresh Pujari said the govt is keeping a close watch on the possible system and also remains prepared to face any eventuality. He said a clearer picture would emerge in the coming days.

Night temperature, meanwhile, continued to witness a rising trend. Jharsuguda at 14.1 degree Celsius recorded the day’s lowest in the state. The state capital recorded a minimum of 20.5°C, three degrees above normal. Dense fog prevailed in Khurda and Rourkela during morning hours.




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