Bhubaneswar, Oct 22 (Representative) The cyclonic storm taking shape over the Bay of Bengal is likely to cross the Odisha coast on the night of October 24, according to the Centre for Environment and Climate (CEC) of Siksha Anusandhan Deemed to be University here. The landfall is expected to be somewhere in the coastal reaches of Kendrapara and Bhadrak districts, CEC Director Dr. Sarat Chandra Sahu, said. Meanwhile, the low-pressure system that had formed over the north Andaman Sea had intensified into a depression Tuesday morning and was moving in a west-northwesterly direction.
It was centered about 700 km southeast of Paradip at 0830 hours on Tuesday, he said. Its intensification will continue and it is expected to turn into a cyclonic storm over west-central Bay of Bengal in the evening of October 23, Sahu said. The system is likely to move in a west-northwesterly direction for another 24 hours and thereafter take a northwesterly direction till it crosses the coast on the night of October 24. Wind speed may touch 120 kmph in the sea in the afternoon of October 24 but its speed may get reduced to 85-110 kmph along the Odisha coast on the same night while crossing the coast. In Bhubaneswar city and nearby areas the wind speed may be in the range of 55 to 70 kmph on the night of October 24 and 45-55 kmph in Berhampur on October 25 which will be felt till late evening.
Moderate to heavy rain will start in the evening or night of October 22 in the districts of Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak and Keonjhar which will continue till the next day. Heavy to very heavy rain may occur from the afternoon of October 24 in the districts of Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Khurda, Cuttack, Puri, Nayagarh and Ganjam and continue till the afternoon of October 25, Dr. Sahu said. After crossing the Odisha coast, the system may weaken and move in a south-southwesterly direction towards Koraput district causing rains in the south Odisha districts till October 26, he said. Meanwhile, the IMD has issued a red alert for Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak,Balasore, Jajpur, Kendrapara ,Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur districts where heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur at many places. The Met department also issued an orange alert for 14 districts where moderate to heavy rainfall is likely to occur in the next three days. The Odisha government had declared closure of all schools in 14 districts for three days from Wednesday as the depression will intensify into a severe cyclonic storm and likely to hit the landmass while crossing the Odisha coast on October 24. State Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja on Tuesday chaired a secretary level meeting to review the preparedness for the cyclonic storm.