BHUBANESWAR: The cyclone fear may have gone but heavy rains, under influence of the system brewing over Bay of Bengal, will dampen Diwali festivities in many parts of Odisha. The tropical storm, once it has formed, in all probability will skirt State’s coastline and move towards West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts by Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Special Relief Commissioner’s office has asked Collectors to remain ready to handle any emergency arising due to the storm. Currently, it lays as a low pressure area over north Andaman Sea and adjoining areas of south-east Bay of Bengal and will concentrate into a depression around Saturday. The system will move northwestwards and intensify further into a deep depression on Sunday.
Then it is predicted to re-curve northwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm over west-central and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal. Thereafter, the storm will move north-northeastwards and reach near West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts on Tuesday after skirting Odisha coast. Further intensification of the system is not being predicted. The weather models also show that the system’s cone of uncertainty will brush the State’s coast which means there will be little or no threat from the system to the mainland.
However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted moderate rainfall over north, coastal and southern districts over the next three days. “Heavy rainfall will occur at some parts of Odisha till Tuesday. The rainfall activity is expected to reduce Wednesday onwards,” said Director of Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre HR Biswas.
Private weather forecaster Skymet said the steering winds controlling trajectory of the storm are expected to commence re-curvature of the cyclone which will be at a safe distance from the coast. The cyclone is expected to make landfall over Ganges delta.