Bhubaneswar: The Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘Asani’ has weakened into a Cyclonic Storm and is to further weaken into a depression after nearing the Odisha coast by the morning of May 12, informed the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday.
At around 5.30 am today, the system lay centered about 50 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 530 km south-southwest of Gopalpur (Odisha), and 640 km southwest of Puri (Odisha).
It is very likely to move nearly northwestwards for the next few hours and reach Westcentral Bay of Bengal close to Andhra Pradesh coast. Thereafter, it is very likely to recurve slowly north-northeastwards, move along Machilipatnam, Narsapur, Yanam, Kakinada, Tuni & Visakhapatnam coasts and emerge into westcentral Bay of Bengal off North Andhra Pradesh coasts by today evening.
Then it is likely to move northeastwards towards northwest Bay of Bengal off Odisha coast and likely to weaken gradually into a depression by the morning of May 12.
The system is to trigger heavy rainfall (7 -11cm) at one or two places over the districts of Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri Khordha, Jagatsinghpur, and Cuttack today and over the districts of Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Kendrapada, Bhadrak and Balasore on May 12.
Gale wind speed reaching 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph is prevailing around the system center over Westcentral Bay of Bengal. It would gradually decrease become 60-70 Kmph gusting to 80 Kmph by today evening over the same region. Further, it would decrease to 40-50 Kmph gusting to 60 Kmph over Westcentral Bay of Bengal on May 12.
Squally wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph is likely to continue along & off Odisha coast during May 11 to 12.
As the sea condition is likely to be high over westcentral & adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal today, and very rough to rough over the same region on May 12, fishing operations over westcentral Bay of Bengal and Northwest Bay of Bengal have been suspended till May 12.
Local Cautionary Signal No.3 (LC-3) has been hoisted at Gopalpur port and Distant Warning Signal No.2 (DW-2) at all other ports of Odisha.
