Bay of Bengal depression set to become very severe cyclone; Andhra, Odisha step up preparations

The weather system over the Bay of Bengal has strengthened into a depression and is forecast to grow into a very severe cyclonic storm before it reaches the Andhra Pradesh coast early next week, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its latest bulletins.

On Saturday evening the depression lay about 820 km east-southeast of Visakhapatnam and 910 km east-southeast of Kakinada, according to the IMD bulletin as reported by regional outlets. If it reaches cyclone strength it is expected to be named Arnab, a name contributed by Bangladesh to the regional naming list.

Forecast track and strength

The IMD expects the system to become a deep depression on Sunday, a cyclonic storm by Monday morning and a severe cyclonic storm by Tuesday morning. It is then forecast to cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam by the forenoon of Wednesday, October 28, as a very severe cyclonic storm.

At landfall, maximum sustained winds of 115 to 125 kmph, gusting to 140 kmph, are forecast. The IMD has issued a pre-cyclone watch for the Andhra Pradesh and adjoining south Odisha coasts. Fishermen have been told not to go to sea, and seas are expected to be rough to very rough on October 27 and 28.

Heavy to very heavy rain, with extremely heavy falls at isolated places, is forecast for north coastal Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha around October 28. Parts of Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Bihar may also get heavy rain as the system moves inland.

States gear up

In Andhra Pradesh, red alerts have been issued for coastal districts from Visakhapatnam to Bapatla, and authorities have begun steps to move people out of vulnerable coastal areas, The Hans India reported.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi reviewed preparations and said the state would again aim for zero casualties. About 60 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force teams, 17 NDRF teams and 225 fire service teams have been put on alert. Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri are expected to be the worst hit, and schools, colleges and anganwadi centres there will stay shut on October 28 and 29. Leave for district collectors and other key officials has been cancelled, and farmers have been asked to harvest and store crops early.

President Droupadi Murmu's planned October 28-29 visit to Odisha has been called off because of the cyclone threat, according to local reports.

What residents should do

Officials have urged people in coastal districts to follow district administration advisories, keep away from the sea and track official IMD updates, as the forecast track and intensity may still change over the next three days.