East coast states brace for cyclone as low pressure changes into depression

The well-marked low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression on Tuesday morning as it rolled towards the eastern coast with the likelihood of turning into a severe cyclonic storm, the IMD said. In its bulletin, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the well-marked low-pressure area over the east-central Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards, concentrated into a depression and lay centred at 730 km southeast of Paradip in Odisha around 5.30 am. "It is very likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm by October 23, 2024, over east-central Bay of Bengal," the bulletin said. Thereafter, the weather system will continue moving northwestwards and is very likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm, which will cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island on the night of October 24 and morning October 25 with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting 120 kmph, it added The system is likely to ..