Low Pressure Likely In 24 Hours; IMD DG Clears Air On Cyclone

With several parts of Odisha reeling under intense heat wave conditions, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday said that a Low Pressure area is likely to form over Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining Southwest Bay of Bengal during the next 24 hours.

This has led to speculations about a possible intensification of low pressure area and subsequent cyclonic storm in the coming days. However, IMD Director General (DG) Mrutyunjay Mohapatra today said that no assessment regarding the formation of cyclone has been made yet.

Weather expert Umashankar Dash said that there are precedents of formation of low pressure area over Bay of Bengal in the month of March in the past. However, going by precedent, such systems cease have any impact on Odisha.

Earlier the cyclonic circulation which was formed around March 10 has now become active and it is likely to develop into a low pressure in the next 24 hours.

“Though low pressure systems have formed in the month of March in the past, there is no record of such systems having any impact on Odisha as the conditions are usually not favourable during this period,” said Dash. Dash further informed that no forecast of rainfall activity has been made for Odisha in the coming five days.