BHUBANESWAR: Dismissing speculation of a tropical storm formation, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday said the low-pressure area over the east-central Bay of Bengal is expected to intensify into a depression and further into a deep depression before reaching the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh coast next week.
The Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre said the system was lying over the east-central Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Andaman Sea around 8.30 am on Sunday.
“It is likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a depression over the east-central Bay of Bengal on September 21 and concentrate into a deep depression over the west-central Bay of Bengal the next day,” a bulletin said.
The system will, however, continue to move west-northwestwards and reach the north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha coasts around the morning of September 23.
The SOA Centre of Environmental and Climate (CEC) echoed the IMD forecast in its preliminary assessment. The low-pressure area is likely to gradually intensify into a deep depression by September 23 and cross the Odisha coast between Ganjam and Puri districts during the night of September 23 or the forenoon of September 24.
“Since the weather system is associated with the monsoon current, it may not intensify further,” the CEC said.
The IMD predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in parts of the state on Wednesday and Thursday. Very heavy showers are likely in parts of Kandhamal, Gajapati, Ganjam and Puri on Wednesday, while Kalahandi, Kandhamal and Rayagada are likely to witness heavy to very heavy rain on Thursday.
Under the influence of the system, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in several coastal, southern and western districts of Odisha between September 22 and 26, the CEC bulletin said.