Storm likely to swerve away from Odisha

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea along and off Odisha and West Bengal coasts from November 8 onwards.
The IMD said, the system is set to intensify into a cyclone though chances of the cyclonic storm hitting Odisha coast are low.
The IMD said, the system is set to intensify into a cyclone though chances of the cyclonic storm hitting Odisha coast are low.

BHUBANESWAR: The deep depression over Bay of Bengal is set to concentrate into a cyclonic storm but likely to move away from Odisha, Met office said here on Wednesday even as the exact course of the system would be clear in the next 24 hours. Meanwhile, amidst prediction of widespread rainfall, the State Government put on alert 14 districts and asked them to be prepared for a possible flood-like situation.

The India Meteorological Department said, the system is set to intensify into a cyclone though chances of the cyclonic storm hitting Odisha coast are low. It is being closely monitored to ascertain the exact direction the cyclonic storm will take and possible location of its landfall.

The depression, that turned into a deep depression on Wednesday, lay centred over east-central and adjacent southeast Bay of Bengal, about 800 km south-southeast of Paradip and 910 km south-southeast of Sagar Islands in West Bengal and 950 km south-southwest of Khepupara in Bangladesh.

The system will likely intensify into a cyclonic storm during the next 12 hours and into a severe cyclonic storm in the subsequent 24 hours. It is expected to move northwestwards for some time and then north-northwestwards towards West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts.

“Under the influence of the system, light to moderate rainfall will likely to occur at most places over north coastal districts of Odisha on November 9 and 10. Squally wind speed reaching 40 km to 50 km per hour and gusting up to 60 km per hour is expected to commence over north-west Bay of Bengal off Odisha and West Bengal coasts from November 8 and increase gradually,” Director, Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre, H R Biswas said.

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea along and off Odisha and West Bengal coasts from November 8 onwards. Private weather forecaster Skymet said, “There is uncertainty over its track until it takes a form of a cyclonic storm.  Two days back, weather models were suggesting west-northwest movement of the system that would have crossed the coast between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

Thereafter, the system showed northwards trend towards north Odisha and West Bengal coasts.”
As of now, the likely storm Bulbul is most likely to make landfall somewhere between Chandbali in Odisha and Sagar Islands in West Bengal, in close proximity to Bangladesh coast around November 10.
Meanwhile, Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Jena on Wednesday asked the administration of all the districts to closely watch the developments of the system and to make Emergency Operation Centres (EOC) operational round the clock.

This apart, Jena has asked the Collectors of Ganjam, Gajapati, Nayagarh, Puri, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Dhenkanal districts to keep the administrative machinery ready to meet any emergency situation.

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