Guwahati: With cyclone Sitrang’s formation developing in the Bay of Bengal, its impact in the eastern, northeastern, and southern parts of the country is now imminent.
Some states will have to bear the brunt more than others as they face the prospect of dampened Diwali celebrations due to the extreme weather.
Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura will witness isolated heavy showers on Monday and Tuesday and possibly isolated extremely heavy rains on Wednesday, October 26.
According to the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) latest information, the system currently exists as a low-pressure area over the north Andaman Sea and adjoining areas of the south Andaman Sea and the southeast Bay of Bengal.
It is likely to move west-northwestwards forming a depression over the east-central and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal around October 22, and then develop into a deep depression on October 23.
The depression is expected to move northwards, intensifying into a cyclonic storm over the west-central and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal by October 24. Once it strengthens into a cyclone, the system will be named Sitrang.
It will gradually move north-northeastwards, skirting the Odisha coast and edging close to the West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts by October 25.
The eastern states of Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal should expect an explosive start to Diwali (in terms of weather), and the entire festive week may remain damp.
Scattered to fairly widespread showers with isolated heavy to very heavy downpours (64.5 mm-204 mm), thunderstorms and lightning is forecast on October 24-25. Precipitation over Gangetic West Bengal may further intensify into extremely heavy rainfall (204 mm) on October 26.
Early weather warnings
The Met department has issued an orange alert (‘be prepared’ for rough conditions) over West Bengal for October 24 and 25.
Fishermen in the area have been advised against venturing into the sea while the cyclone persists.
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