IMD warns fishermen not to venture into Bay of Bengal in view of storm

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned fishermen not to venture into southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas from Sunday onwards in view of the likely formation of a cyclonic storm.

Fishermen, small ships, boats and trawlers are advised not to venture into southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas from May 7 onwards and into adjoining central BoB from May 9 onwards, said HR Biswas, Head & Scientist, MeT centre, Bhubaneswar.

In association with likely formation of a cyclonic storm, squally weather with wind speed reaching 40 to 50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph is likely to prevail over the southeast BoB and adjoining areas of Andaman sea from May 7 and wind speed will gradually increase further over the areas, he said.

In regard to information for tourist and travellers for Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the IMD said that bad weather condition like squally weather and heavy rainfall activity is likely over Andaman and Nicobar Islands during May 8-11 and advised to regulate tourism and offshore activities and shipping over Andaman and Nicobar Islands during May 8-11.

Meanwhile, the IMD in its Tropical Weather Outlook issued on Thursday said that IMD-GFS weather model indicates that the system may move towards the Bangladesh-Myanmar coast and intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm category.

The Met office has already informed that a cyclonic circulation is likely to develop over Southeast Bay of Bengal around May 6. Under its influence, a low pressure area is likely to form over the same region around May 7. It is likely to concentrate into a depression over Southeast Bay of Bengal on May 8.

"Thereafter, it is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm while moving nearly northwards towards central Bay of Bengal. The cyclonic storm may take shape around May 9," the official said.

The IMD further said that the model is indicating north-northwestwards movement till May 10 and northeastwards re-curvature thereafter towards southeast Bangladesh and adjoining Myanmar coasts.

While the IMD is yet to issue any specific warning for Odisha, the government has already put collectors of 18 coastal and adjoining districts and officials of 11 departments on the alert.

All cyclone-prone districts are kept in a state of readiness. District administrations along with the NDRF, ODRAF, and others are in readiness for any possible eventuality.

On May 8 last year, cyclonic storm Asani' had developed in the Bay of Bengal but later fizzled out and later crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast as a depression. The severe cyclonic storm Yaas' made landfall in Odisha's Balasore district on the morning of May 26, 2021, while Cyclone Amphan made landfall between the Sagar islands of West Bengal and the Hatiya islands of Bangladesh on the evening of May 20, 2020.

The last storm forming in Bay of Bengal in April was Fani', which made landfall over the Odisha coast near Puri as an extremely severe cyclonic storm on May 3, 2019.