East coast braces for cyclone as low pressure strengthens into depression

Bhubaneswar: The well-marked low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression on Tuesday morning as it rolled towards the eastern coast with the likelihood of turning into a severe cyclonic storm, the IMD said.

In its bulletin, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the well-marked low-pressure area over the east-central Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards, concentrated into a depression and lay centred at 730 km southeast of Paradip in Odisha around 5.30 am.

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"It is very likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm by October 23, 2024, over east-central Bay of Bengal," the bulletin said.

Thereafter, the weather system will continue moving northwestwards and is very likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm, which will cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island on the night of October 24 and morning October 25 with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting 120 kmph, it added The system is likely to affect the coast of both Odisha and West Bengal with heavy rain and high-speed wind, the bulletin said.

A deep depression is a more intense stage of a low-pressure system and typically precedes the formation of a cyclonic storm, according to the IMD.

The Odisha government has cancelled the leaves of all staff from October 23 to 25 in view of the cyclone forecast.

In a letter to all the departments, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) DK Singh has asked them to remain prepared to tackle the challenges of the impending calamity.