The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast the development of a severe cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal by November 17, after a low-pressure system over the southeast Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression on Sunday.
According to the weather department, the system is expected to strengthen into a cyclonic storm over the central parts of the south and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal on November 16 before intensifying further into a severe cyclonic storm the following day.
The depression formed at 5:30 am on November 15 after a well-marked low-pressure area over the southeast Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards and gained strength.
In its latest update, the IMD said the system was centred over the southeast and adjoining southwest Bay of Bengal, near latitude 9.0°N and longitude 86.9°E.
At the time of the update, it was located around 700 km west-southwest of Sri Vijaya Puram in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 860 km east-southeast of Chennai, 1,040 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam and 1,160 km south-southeast of Gopalpur in Odisha.
The weather system is likely to continue moving in a north-northwesterly direction while gradually gaining intensity, the IMD said.
A depression is classified as an intense low-pressure weather system with maximum sustained surface wind speeds ranging between 17 and 33 knots, or approximately 31 to 61 kmph.
The latest forecast comes as several parts of southern and eastern India continue to deal with the impact of Cyclones Murasu and Arnab. The possible intensification of the Bay of Bengal system is likely to keep weather conditions across the region under close observation in the coming days.
