Cyclone Sitrang will move across the east-central Bay of Bengal during the late evening hours today, the India Meteorological Department said. It also predicted that the depression would turn into a deep depression traveling with a wind speed of 50-60 kmph and making a landfall near Bangladesh’s Barisal on Tuesday morning.
The cyclone is expected to cross the coast of West Bengal and Bangladesh on Tuesday morning. It’s also expected to affect the areas near the international border and low lying coastal areas such as the mangrove forests of Sundarbans.
The weather department has warned that the storm could become a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal, which would be the first such event to occur in October since 2018. The coastal districts of West Bengal and Odisha are expected to receive heavy rainfall. It’s also expected to affect areas such as southern Assam, east Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura on Monday.
A letter issued from the office of P Acharjee, additional secretary to the state government, said, “Heavy rains and thunderstorms may affect this Diwali festival. However, looking at the current situation, may follow the impact-based advisories of IMD and take up following measures…”. Acharjee has instructed all district magistrates to alert the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), fire services, and trained volunteers to remain ready to tackle any situation if required.
On Sunday, the sea conditions would be rough along the coasts of West Bengal and the adjoining areas of the north Andaman Sea. Wind speeds of up to 55 kmph are expected to affect the region.
According to Mrutunjay Mohapatra, the director general of the IMD, the storm is not expected to make landfall in Odisha. However, it’s expected to bring heavy rainfall to the state. The state government has issued advisories to seven coastal districts, including Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Balasore, and Kandhamal.
The storm has been named after Thailand’s Si-trang. It will be the second cyclone to form in the Bay of Bengal this season. The other one was Cyclone Asani, which formed in the Bay of Bengal in early May.