BHUBANESWAR: A low pressure area formed over south-west and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal off north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coasts on Wednesday morning.
It is likely to move northeastwards and concentrate into a depression over central parts of Bay of Bengal by Friday.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the system is expected to move northeastwards, intensify further and reach north-east and adjoining north-west Bay of Bengal by Saturday evening.
The national weather forecaster, however, is yet to forecast the system’s further path and whether it will intensify into a tropical storm. “More details like the system’s further path and if it will cross the Indian coast will emerge in a day or two,” said IMD DG, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra. Weather experts pointed out it is cyclone season and the sea surface temperature is ranging between 30 degree Celsius and 32 degree Celsius which is conducive for the formation of a tropical storm.
The system may skirt Odisha coast but more details can be ascertained within next 24 hours. If the system skirts West Bengal and Odisha coasts then it will be a boon as voting in the sixth phase will take place in the two eastern states on Saturday.