Natural Disasters

Cyclone Bulbul may skip Odisha coast, head for Bangladesh

The chances of the cyclone hitting Odisha coast are remote, as per the latest bulletin of the India Meteorological Department

 
By Priya Ranjan Sahu
Published: Wednesday 06 November 2019

The depression over the Bay of Bengal, which is expected to intensify into a cyclonic storm — Bulbul — and eventually into a very severe cyclonic storm, is now likely to skip Odisha and head towards Sagar Island in West Bengal and Kepupara in Bangladesh.

Odisha, especially its Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts, were preparing for the cyclone. But on November 6, 2019 morning, State Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Jena said the state may not be hit.  

“As per the latest bulletin of the Indian Meteorogical Department (IMD), chances of the cyclone hitting Odisha coast are remote,” Jena said. “However, the collectors of 15 districts of the state have been asked to remain alert and be prepared for any eventuality.

The districts put on alert include Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Ganjam, Puri, Gajapati, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Boudh and Nuapada. Farmers in these districts have been advised to harvest ripe crops before rains start. Fishermen of the coastal districts have been asked to not venture into the sea from November 7.

Jena said unnecessary panic was being created on social media; people should trust the reports from rhe IMD, whose forecast have been correct since Cyclone Phailin.

The met department has predicted light and medium rain in coastal districts from November 8 and wind speed of 40-50 kilometres, gusting up to 70 km.

The depression over  east-central and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal and North Andaman Sea moved west-northwestward with a speed of 9 km per hour and was centred about 810 km south-southwest of Paradip, according to the IMD.

“It is very likely to intensify into deep depression during the next 12 hours and into a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours. It is very likely to move west-northwestwards initially and then north-northwards, towards West Bengal and adjoining north Odisha and Bangladesh coast,” according to the department’s report. 

Cyclone Bulbul comes five months after Cyclone Fani made landfall in the Odisha coast in May.

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