What is now a cyclonic circulation over the north Andaman Sea is likely to intensify into a cyclone on the Bay of Bengal by Sunday, the Met office has said.
If it happens, the storm will be the second cyclone on the Bay this year, after Asani in early May. The cyclone will be called Sitrang (pronounced Si-trang), a name given by Thailand.
The system is still over 1,000km from the West Bengal coast and the expected time and place of landfall are still far from certain, said Met officials. But Diwali, to be celebrated on Monday, is most likely to be rainy in the city, they said.
“Monday’s cyclonic circulation over south Andaman Sea and neighbourhood now lay over north Andaman Sea and neighbourhood. Under its influence, a low-pressure area is likely to form over southeast and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal during the next 48 hours. It is likely to move west-northweswards and concentrate into a depression by Saturday morning over central Bay of Bengal. It is very likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm over west-central Bay of Bengal subsequently,” said a Met bulletin issued on Tuesday morning.
The storm is expected to intensify into a cyclone by October 23-24, said G.K. Das, director, India Meteorological Department, Kolkata.
