The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) reported on Saturday, 7 May, that a low-pressure region that originated over the South Andaman Sea on Friday has grown into a well-marked low-pressure system encompassing the southeast Bay of Bengal and is expected to deepen into a cyclonic storm by 8 May.
In light of the cyclonic storm's expected formation, the weather office also warned of thunderstorms and heavy rainfall over the regions of Gangetic West Bengal between Tuesday and Friday next week.
"It is very likely to move northwestward, intensify into a depression over southeast Bay of Bengal by 7 May evening and further into a cyclonic storm over east-central Bay of Bengal by 8 May evening," the department said.
The cyclonic storm is predicted to hit the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha by 10 May, causing severe rainfall in the east coast states, according to the IMD.
The department in a tweet said that isolated or scattered moderate rainfall is highly possible over Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal-Sikkim, and Odisha during the next 5 days. It had added that the region can expect thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds of speed 30-40 kmph on 6 May.
"Isolated heavy rainfall likely over Odisha on 10 May," IMD added.
It said that isolated heavy rainfall is extremely likely over the North-eastern states with Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura experiencing rainfall on 10 May whereas Assam and Meghalaya on 9 May and 10 May.
IMD has also issued a warning to fishermen, urging them not to enter into the Andaman Sea and Southeast Bay of Bengal for the next three days, east-central Bay of Bengal for the next four days, and westcentral & northwest Bay of Bengal on 10 May.
The Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) and Additional Chief Commisioner (ACC) of Odisha held a preparatory meeting with the district collectors and Disaster Relief Forces, NDRF, ODRAF and fire services, on 5 May, in view of the cyclone. The SRC and ACC also had a virtual meeting with the IT department, senior officers of the Department of Telecommunication and the telecom service providers on 6 May.
The region has been hit by cyclones in the past three summers too: Fani in 2019, Amphan in 2020 and Yaas in 2021.
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