Bhubaneswar: The deep depression over southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining Andaman Sea is expected to intensify into a cyclonic storm on Sunday, packing a wind speed of up to 90kmph, the India Meteorological Department warned.
Currently at 1100 kms away from Puri (South-Southeast) and moving at 13km/h towards north-northwest, said the IMD.
“It is expected to move northwestwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm over the east-central Bay of Bengal on Sunday,” the Met office said. “It is also likely to continue to move northwestwards till May 10 evening and reach west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal off north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts.”
The storm will then likely to recurve north-northeastwards and move towards northwest Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast, the bulletin said. “We are closely monitoring the situation…,” IMD director general M Mohapatra said. “We have, however, not yet made any forecast on where it will make landfall…”
If the weather system intensifies into a cyclone, it will be called Asani, Sinhalese for wrath, according to Met officials. It would be the first cyclonic storm of the season, as a similar weather event in March fizzled out before it could strengthen into a cyclone.
