Third cyclone brews over Bay of Bengal

The State Government has already put the districts on alert against any damage to paddy crop to be caused by the rain.

BHUBANESWAR: The depression over the Bay of Bengal showed slow movement and intensification as the weather office said the system would eventually turn into a cyclone in the next 48 hours. Though it would head towards the east coast, the storm would spare Odisha.


Till last reports came in, it was lying 1,210 km south-south-east of Gopalpur and its predicted path showed that it could head towards Machhlipatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
The India Meteorological Department, however, refrained from making any forecast about the system’s course and its landfall point. It is too early to say anything, Director, IMD, Odisha, Sarat Chandra Sahu said.


Moving at a speed of 10 kmph, the system is expected to move in a north-west direction before taking a west-north-west route.


If it keeps its course, it is likely to make landfall near Machhlipatnam. In such an event, there would be no impact on Odisha. A little northward movement would see the system crossing the east coast to the south of Visakhapatnam. This would lead to moderate rainfall over southern and coastal districts of the State.
Given its movement, the system is expected to approach the coast only after December 10. The State Government has already put the districts on alert against any damage to paddy crop to be caused by the rain.


This system, when it concentrates into a cyclonic storm, would be the third of the season after Kyant and Nada.


Independent weather forecaster Skymet said this is for the first time in 10 years that three cyclones will develop over the Bay of Bengal in one calendar year. All these three cyclonic storms will also have developed during the Northeast monsoon season, and not the Southwest monsoon span.
  Last year, not a single cyclone formed in the Bay during the Northeast monsoon.

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