BHUBANESWAR: Cyclone Asani, which formed over Bay of Bengal, will spare Odisha but trigger heavy rainfall in the coastal areas of the State between Tuesday and Thursday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday.At 5.30 pm, Asani had intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and lay centered over southeast and adjoining eastcentral Bay of Bengal, about 810 km southeast of Visakhapatnam and 880 km south-southeast of Puri.
“The tropical storm is very likely to move north-westwards till Tuesday night and reach westcentral and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal off north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts. Thereafter, it is expected to recurve north-northeastwards and move towards northwest Bay of Bengal off Odisha coast,” said Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre Director, HR Biswas.
Asani is expected to lose steam and weaken into a cyclone by Wednesday morning. Cyclone Asani has been named by Sri Lanka. In Sinhala language, Asani means wrath.Private weather forecaster Skymet said, “The steering current influenced by the sub-tropical ridge (anticyclone) will result in the re-curvature of Asani and drift away from the shore.”
Asani may not intensify further into a very severe cyclonic storm. Cold streaming from the north, dry air from land and relatively less warm sea surface temperature will result in weakening of the storm before coming close to the coastal areas of West Bengal and Bangladesh, it added. Under the influence of the cyclone, light to moderate rainfall is likely to occur at many places in coastal districts between Tuesday and Thursday.
Heavy rainfall is expected at one or two places in Gajapati, Ganjam and Puri districts on Tuesday, and at one or two places in Ganjam, Khurda, Puri, Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur districts on Wednesday.Similarly, heavy rainfall is likely to occur at one or two places in Puri, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore districts on Thursday.
Wind speed reaching 95 kmph to 105 kmph and gusting up to 115 kmph is likely to prevail over westcentral and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal on Tuesday, and wind speed reaching 80 kmph to 90 kmph and gusting up to 100 kmph is expected over northwest and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal on Wednesday. The IMD has advised the fishermen to not venture into deep sea area between Tuesday and Thursday. The national weather forecaster has asked authorities to keep hoisted distant warning signal-II at all ports in Odisha during the period.