Bhubaneswar: A low-pressure system brewing in the southwest Bay of Bengal is not going to have any major impact on Odisha. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has informed that if the system intensifies into a cyclone, it would be called ‘Asani ‘heading towards Bangladesh and Myanmar coasts.
The low-pressure in Southwest Bay Of Bengal and Equatorial Indian Ocean moved eastward and is centered around the central part of south Bay of Bengal, India Meteorological Department (IMD) DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said.
The system will become well-marked and lie Southeast of the Bay of Bengal and the South Andaman Sea and Nicobar Island by March 19 morning. After that, there will be a change in its direction and the system will gradually head north-northwestward near Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is likely to intensify into a depression on March 20 and develop into a cyclonic storm by March 21.
On the cyclonic system’s likely impact Odisha, Mohapatra said, the system’s current track suggests that it will have no impact on the State during the course of its movement. The IMD has warned fishermen not to venture into the southern part of Bay of Bengal, southeast Bay of Bengal & Andaman Sea.
After intensifying into a cyclone, the system is then expected to move in the north-northeastward direction and reach Bangladesh and Myanmar’s coast by March 23 evening. “Under its influence, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the nearby areas will experience squally weather from March 18 with a wind speed of 40 to 50 gusting to 60 km. The wind speed will increase in these areas from March 19 and reach 90 km on March 23.”
The system is unlikely to turn severe and is likely to be a cyclonic storm of wind speed of 70 km to 80 km gusting to 9 km. Andaman and Nicobar islands will experience heavy to extremely heavy rainfall from March 19-21. Fishermen are advised not to venture into the southern part of South Bay of Bengal, southeast Bay of Bengal & Andaman Sea, he added.
