As an intense cyclone is expected to hit the Bay of Bengal on May 23, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an advisory for fishermen venturing into the sea off the coasts of north and West Bengal. Sunanda, Director of the IMD’s Visakhapatnam Cyclone Warning Centre, advised fishermen to return by Thursday due to the possibility of very high winds in central parts of the Bay of Bengal. Sunanda stated that a low-pressure area is likely to form over the Southwest Bay of Bengal around May 22, moving further northeastwards and intensifying into a depression over the central Bay of Bengal by the morning of May 24. “…along the coast over the northern part of Odisha and West Bengal, there is a likelihood of heavy to very heavy rain with high wind. So fishermen are advised not to venture out in the sea from these coasts during this period of May 23 to 24,” she advised. Besides Odisha, the cyclone is predicted to impact Maharashtra and Gujarat between May 23 and May 27, resulting in heavy rainfall in Gujarat and Mumbai around May 28, 2024, according to the Met department forecast. Until May 23, the weather office anticipates light rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, and other neighboring states. The IMD’s latest bulletin predicts “scattered to fairly widespread light to… accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and…” In the southern states of Karnataka, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Lakshadweep, and Telangana, the Met department forecasts light to moderate rainfall, thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds until May 23. Meanwhile, Kerala has experienced heavy rainfall in recent days, prompting the state government to urge residents, particularly those in hilly and coastal areas, to exercise caution. On the night of May 18, several areas of Thiruvananthapuram city and its suburbs were flooded, inundating homes and businesses in the southern district.
Cyclone Warning for Bay of Bengal: Fishermen Advised to Return by Thursday
