IMD DG on Cyclone threat: No consensus between models; forecast possible after Low Pressure

No forecast about cyclone can be made at this stage and it could be predicted only after the formation of the low-pressure area, informed Director General of the India Meteorological Department Mrutyunjay Mohapatra on Saturday.

In an exclusive interview with OTV, Mohapatra said that the movement and position will be clear to some extent after the cyclonic circulation turns into a low pressure.

“A cyclonic circulation has been formed over Central Andaman Sea today. Under the influence of the cyclonic circulation, a low-pressure area may be formed over the Central Bay of Bengal around October 21. Subsequently, the low pressure will move in the northwest direction and may turn into a depression around October 23,” said Mohapatra.

“When the low-pressure area will be formed, the Bay of Bengal will be gradually turbulent as the speed of the wind may increase. Wind speed may reach up to 45-55 km per hour and 65 km per hour in coastal Odisha. Fishermen have been advised to return from sea to the coast by October 21 considering the turbulent condition of the Bay of Bengal from October 22,” he further said.

“Coastal and interior parts of Odisha may experience heavy to very heavy rainfall from October 23-25. We will clear about the possible cyclone after the formation of the low-pressure area. As the month of October is generally suitable for cyclones, some models have predicted about it. However, there has not been consensus and predictions about a cyclone cannot be made at this stage,” he added.