The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday (October 21) warned that a low-pressure system over the Andaman Sea is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm and reach the West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts on October 25. “The low-pressure area formed over the north Andaman Sea is expected to move west-northwestwards and concentrate into a depression over east-central and adjoining the southeast Bay of Bengal on October 22, then into a deep depression on October 23,” IMD report said. Subsequently, by October 24, it is pretty likely to recurve northwards and build into a cyclonic storm over the west-central and neighbouring east-central Bay of Bengal. Following that, it is expected to move steadily north-northeastward, avoiding the Odisha coast and arriving near the West Bengal – Bangladesh coasts on October 25. The cyclonic storm is expected to be christened ‘Sitrang’, as suggested by Thailand.
Sanjib Bandopadhyay, the deputy director-general of Regional Met Centre in Kolkata, said that the system is likely to cause light to moderate rain in Gangetic West Bengal, with isolated heavy rain in the coastal districts of South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur. He said that it is likely to cause light to moderate rain in Kolkata on October 24 and 25.
In Kolkata, West Bengal’s Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi chaired a high-level meeting with top state officials on the prevailing situation. He directed South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur and Hooghly districts to take necessary precautions in the wake of the forecast.
Odisha’s Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Pramila Mallick said all districts and coastal region authorities were directed to be prepared to deal with the emerging situation. The system is likely to trigger heavy rainfall when it crosses parallel to the state’s coast on Monday.
The Northeast, including south Assam, east Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura, will receive rainfall on October 24, 25 and 26 under the impact of the system, it said.
