The deep pressure area over the Bay of Bengal turned into a cyclonic storm on Friday. At the same time, IMD has expressed the possibility regarding cyclonic storm Midhili that the cyclonic storm will weaken on Saturday.
Midhili is turning into a deep depression over India’s Tripura and adjoining Bangladesh. The Meteorological Department has expressed the possibility that in the next few hours this storm may affect parts of Mizoram and Tripura including the southern areas of Assam.
The deep depression over west-central Bay of Bengal is moving in north-east direction with a speed of about 20 km per hour, it has turned into a cyclonic storm Midhili.
According to Skymet Weather, it is likely to cross the Bangladesh coast near Khuppara with wind speed ranging from 60 to 70 kmph gusting to 80 kmph during the night or morning of 18 November.
The Meteorological Department issued a warning on Friday itself asking fishermen not to venture into the sea near the Bay of North Bengal and the coasts of West Bengal till November 18. The department has said that it is expected to move north-northeast and can cross the Bangladesh coast near Kheupada with winds speed of 60 to 80 km per hour.
The name ‘Midhili’ has been given to this storm by Maldives. The countries affected by the cyclones of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal give the names of the cyclones in a sequence one by one. The Meteorological Department has warned fishermen not to venture into the sea around the North Bay of Bengal and West Bengal coasts till Saturday.
IMD says that there is little chance of cyclone ‘Midhili’ having any major impact on Odisha, as it will pass 150 kilometers above the state’s coast.
However, IMD scientist Umashankar Das said that some districts like Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur are expected to receive heavy rain on Friday.
Light to moderate rain occurred over Andaman and Nicobar Islands, southern Tamil Nadu and Kerala during the last 24 hours.
Light rain occurred over interior Tamil Nadu, Lakshadweep, coastal Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.
Moderate to heavy rain is possible in Tripura during the next 24 hours. Southern Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland may receive light to moderate rain with one or two heavy spells.