Farmers in coastal Odisha heaved a sigh of relief on Wednesday after the India Meteorological Department predicted that the deep depression over the Bay of Bengal was likely to move towards the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts.
People in coastal Odisha had resorted to panic buying of essential items since Tuesday, and farmers had been worried about the severe damage to their standing paddy crop in the event of the possible cyclone hitting the State’s coast over the next few days.
The deep depression over east-central and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal remained practically stationary 390 km west-northwest of Maya Bandar (Andaman Islands), 810 km south-southeast of Paradip (Odisha), 920 km south-southeast of Sagar Islands (West Bengal) and 960 km south-southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh) on Wednesday afternoon, according to the IMD bulletin that was issued in the evening.
“It was very likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm during the next 12 hours and into a severe cyclonic storm during the subsequent 24 hours. It is very likely to move northwestwards for some time and then north-northwestwards towards the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts,” the IMD bulletin added.
Squally wind speeds reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph are likely to commence over the northwest Bay of Bengal off the Odisha-West Bengal coasts from November 8 evening, and gradually increase thereafter.
The forecast by the weatherman at the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre said that light to moderate rain or thundershower was likely to occur at most places over the districts of north coastal Odisha and many places over south coastal Odisha and isolated places over the districts of interior Odisha over the next four days. There was no warning of heavy rainfall in any district of the State.
Meanwhile, the north coastal districts were preparing to cope with any eventuality, said State Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep Jena.
