The IMD on Sunday warned that cyclone Asani is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm over the next 12 hours.
The Indian Meteorological Department on Sunday, May 8, said that Cyclone Asani is likely to intensify into a ‘severe cyclonic storm in the next 12 hours.
In a bulletin, the weather department warned that the cyclone Asani is likely to move northwestwards and intensify into a ‘Severe Cyclonic Storm’ during the next 12 hours.
The weather department bulletin said, “The cyclonic storm ‘Asani’ moved northwestwards over the Bay of Bengal with a speed of 13 kmph and lay centered about 480 km west¬northwest of Car Nicobar (Nicobar Islands), 400km west of Port Blair (Andaman Islands), 940 km southeast of Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and 1000 km south southeast of Puri (Odisha), at 08.30 hours IST on May 8.”
According to Andhra’s Amaravati Meteorological centre, cyclone Asani is very likely to continue to move northwestwards till May 10 evening and reach westcentral and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal off North Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts.
After that, it is very likely to recurve north-northeastwards and move towards the northwest Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast.
The governments of Odisha and West Bengal have taken all precautionary measures to deal with the situation.
FISHERMEN WARNED
Meanwhile, fishermen have been advised not to venture into east central and southeast Bay of Bengal and the adjoining Andaman Sea on May 8. The central parts of Bay of Bengal on May 9 and 10 and over Northwest Bay of Bengal from May 10 to 12. Fishermen out at sea are advised to return to the coast.
Cyclone Asani would be the first cyclonic storm of the season as the weather event in March had fizzled out.
WB CM POSTPONES MEET
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has postponed her district administration meetings that were scheduled between May 10-12, as focus shifted to the management of the incoming Cyclone Asani.
The chief minister will visit Midnapore and Jhargram on May 17, 18, 19 in place of May 10, 11, 12 as previously scheduled. The decision was taken to review the disaster preparedness of various districts amid a cyclone threat.
source indiatoday