Depression over Bay may intensify into cyclonic storm: CEC

Bhubaneswar: The low pressure formed over the Andaman coast has intensified into a depression and was centered about 650 km south-south east of Paradip on Wednesday, according to the Centre for Environment and Climate (CEC) of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) here.

The system is likely to move in a northwestward direction towards Andhra Pradesh coast on Thursday and could intensify into a deep depression, a CEC release said.

 Thereafter, its movement may change track and move north or north-northeastwards towards the Odisha coast and intensify into a cyclonic storm on November 17 with wind speed reaching 80 to 90 km per hour in the sea. However, wind speed close to the Puri, Jagatsinghpur and Bhadrak coast is expected to be between 55 to 70 km per hour during the period.

The system will remain a little away from the Balasore coast on November 18 morning with reduced wind speed of 60 to 75 km per hour. The wind speed in Khurda and Cuttack will be less, it said.

Under its influence, moderate to heavy rain is expected in coastal Odisha including Bhubaneswar from November 15 night. There is probability of heavy to very heavy rainfall on November 17 as the system is likely to stay stationary for the whole day off the Bhadrak coast. Around 40 to 60 mm of precipitation is expected in Bhubaneswar and 30 to 45 mm in Khurda on November 16 and 17.

There is heavy rain probability in the districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar for about 24 hours from November 16, the bulletin said.