Depression may change into cyclonic storm today: IMD

An atmospheric depression over southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining Andaman Sea is expected to intensify into a cyclonic storm on Sunday, packing a wind speed of up to 90kmph, the India Meteorological Department warned on Saturday.

The weather system had intensified into a depression, and at 11.30am on Saturday, lay 170km west of Car Nicobar Island and 300km south-southwest of Port Blair, it said in a special bulletin.

“It is expected to move northwestwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm over the east-central Bay of Bengal on Sunday,” the Met office said. “It is also likely to continue to move northwestwards till May 10 evening and reach west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal off north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts.”

The storm will then likely to recurve north-northeastwards and move towards northwest Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast, the bulletin said. “We are closely monitoring the situation…,” IMD director general M Mohapatra said. “We have, however, not yet made any forecast on where it will make landfall…”

If the weather system intensifies into a cyclone, it will be called Asani, Sinhalese for wrath, according to Met officials. It would be the first cyclonic storm of the season, as a similar weather event in March fizzled out before it could strengthen into a cyclone.

The sea will likely become rough from Saturday, IMD said, advising fishermen not to venture into the Andaman Sea and southeast Bay of Bengal on Saturday and Sunday. It also advised fishermen out in the sea to return as conditions are expected to be rough over central Bay of Bengal on Monday.