The weather office also warned of thunderstorms and heavy rainfall over the districts of Gangetic West Bengal between Tuesday (May 10) and Friday (May 13) next week in view of the likely formation of the cyclonic storm.
Meanwhile, the Odisha government has kept a disaster response and fire services team on standby following the forecast.
Odisha Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P K Jena said, “We have requisitioned 17 teams of NDRF (National Disaster Response Force), 20 teams of ODRAF (Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force), and 175 teams of fire department personnel."
Odisha has witnessed cyclones in the last three summers -- ‘Yaas’ in 2021, ‘Amphan’ in 2020, and ‘Fani’ in 2019.
The low-pressure area is very likely to move north-westwards and intensify into a depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal, and into a cyclonic storm over the east-central Bay of Bengal, IMD Director-General Mrutunjay Mohapatra said.
It is likely to reach the coast on May 10, he said.
IMD Director-General Mrutunjay Mohapatra said they have estimated that the wind speed of the cyclonic storm will remain at 80-90 kmph in the sea
Meanwhile, the state has been put on alert. The energy department and telecom service providers have been asked to take up restoration work immediately if their towers are affected by the possible cyclone.
