Low pressure forms over Bay of Bengal, heavy rain alert for Balasore on May 25

Bhubaneswar: A low-pressure area has formed over Southwest adjoining Westcentral Bay of Bengal off north Tamil Nadu-South Andhra Pradesh coasts, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) informed on Wednesday.

“Under the influence of the cyclonic circulation over Southwest Bay of Bengal, a low-pressure area has formed over Southwest adjoining Westcentral Bay of Bengal off north Tamil Nadu-South Andhra Pradesh coasts. It is very likely to move northeastwards and concentrate into a depression over central parts of Bay of Bengal by morning of May 24. It would continue to move northeastwards and intensify further thereafter,” IMD said.

The MeT office has warned of light to moderate rainfall at many places with heavy rainfall at isolated places in Odisha’s Balasore district and North & South 24 Parganas, East Medinipur districts of West Bengal on May 25. Light to moderate rainfall may also occur at many places with heavy rainfall at isolated places in Mizoram, Tripura and South Manipur.

It has specifically cautioned fishermen off the coasts of northern Odisha and West Bengal to stay ashore on May 23 and 24 as sea conditions are likely to be rough to very rough. Squally weather with wind speed reaching 35-45 kmph gusting to 55 kmph is likely over south Bay of Bengal on May 22. It would gradually increase to 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph over central and adjoining south Bay of Bengal from May 23 morning. It would extend to adjoining areas of North Bay of Bengal with increased wind speed of 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph from May 24 morning and over northeast Bay of Bengal & adjoining north west & east central Bay of Bengal from May 25 morning for subsequent 24 hours.

However, no prediction has been made yet on likely intensification of the system into a cyclone. If the cyclone (which would be named Remal) does form, it would be the first of the pre-monsoon season of 2024.

The weather agency further said that conditions are favourable for further advance of Southwest Monsoon over some parts of Southeast Arabian Sea, some more parts of Maldives, Comorin area and South Bay of Bengal and some more parts of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Andaman Sea during the next 2 days.