Posted ByTechViewThe Indian Meteorological Department predicts that by Monday, a low-pressure area over the west-central and adjacent east-central Bay of Bengal will gradually intensify into a cyclonic storm. This low-pressure area is currently over the north Andaman Sea and adjacent areas of the south Andaman Sea and southeast Bay of Bengal (IMD). Around October 22, the system is expected to travel west-northwestward, concentrate into a depression over East Central and the surrounding Southeast Bay of Bengal, and then deepen into a severe depression the next day.
While there is no chance the storm would make landfall in Odisha, the state is predicted to experience heavy to extremely severe rainfall, according to IMD Director General Mrutunjay Mohapatra. Seven coastal districts in Odisha – Ganjam, Puri, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, and Balasore — have been informed and asked to take precautions. Fishermen have also been cautioned not to go out to sea by the IMD.
Cyclone Sitrang
For issuing advisories and identifying tropical cyclones, six regional specialised meteorological centres (RSMCs) and five regional Tropical Cyclone Warning Centers (TCWCs) are required. 13 member nations of the WMO/ESCAP Panel, including Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, are served by IMD, one of the six RSMCs, which issues tropical cyclone and storm surge advisories.
The Bay of Bengal’s west and adjacent east centres are where it will likely recurve northward and become a cyclonic storm by October 24. Then, it is predicted to proceed gradually in a north-northeasterly direction, avoiding Odisha by October 25 as reported by news agency PTI from IMD Director General Mrutunjay Mohapatra. He did note, however, that the IMD has not yet issued any predictions regarding the cyclone’s potential landfall, intensity, or wind speed.
There is no chance that the system will make landfall in the state; it will pass over the coast of Odisha at a distance. But starting on October 23, he said, Odisha will see isolated areas of high to extremely heavy rainfall. In preparation for the crisis, Odisha maintained the readiness of its disaster management system for any eventuality, including heavy to very heavy rains in the coastal districts as well as in the border region of the neighbouring West Bengal. “We are ready for any circumstance.
Pramila Mallick, the minister of revenue and disaster management for the state of Odisha, stated that all district and coastal region authorities have been given instructions on how to handle any situation. When the system passes parallel to the state’s coast on Monday, it is likely to produce significant amounts of rainfall. Mallick stated that members of the NDRF, ODRAF, and fire service department are prepared for any emergency.
In the wake of the cyclone warning, a senior official said the West Bengal government has started the process of evacuating residents from low-lying regions in Purba Medinipur, South 24 Parganas, and Sundarbans to safe shelters.