The deep depression over the Bay of Bengal had intensified into a cyclonic storm which was centred about 530 km south-southeast of Gopalpur on Friday and was headed towards the Chilika-Puri coast In Odisha, according to SOA’s Centre for Environment and Climate (CEC) here.
The system was moving in a northwestward direction with a speed of 25 km per hour and it was likely to change direction northeastward over the sea about 50 to 75 km from the Ganjam coast and reach the Chilika-Puri area on the morning of December 5, Dr. S.C.Sahu, Director of CEC, said.
At the time of hitting the coast, the wind speed would be about 60 km per hour. Models were indicating that it might weaken as it would enter the land, he said adding the cloud mass had already entered the coast between Visakhapatnam and Puri.
Due to the slow movement of the centre of the system, rain could commence in Bhubaneswar city and nearby areas from the early hours of December 4 and might continue through the day.
Heavy to very heavy rain might be experienced in the districts of Puri, Nayagarh, Khurda, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur and Bhadrak for 24 hours from December 4. The rains were likely to continue for 24 hours from December 5 morning in Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Kendrapara, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts. Some of these districts could receive heavy rainfall in excess of 25 cm, Dr. Sahu said.
The system might move along the Odisha coast and cross the Balasore coast around noon on December 6.
Gusty wind, speed reaching 45 to 55 km per hour, might be experienced in the districts of Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Khurda, Cuttack, Balasore, Jajpur and Mayurbhanj on December 5 and 6, he said.