Bay of Bengal depression intensifies: Odisha schools shut, Andhra coast on alert
Bay of Bengal depression is likely to intensify into a deep depression and cross the Odisha-Andhra coast by September 24, IMD said
Weather update: A weather system developing over the Bay of Bengal is gaining strength and is expected to intensify into a deep depression before moving towards the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday.
The depression over the west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal was moving westwards at around 18 kmph during the six hours up to 8.30 am on September 22. At the time, the system was located near 17.9°N latitude and 86.0°E longitude.
According to the IMD, the system was around 200 km southeast of Gopalpur in Odisha, 200 km east-southeast of Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, 210 km south of Puri and nearly 290 km east of Visakhapatnam.
The weather department said the depression is likely to strengthen into a deep depression within the next 12 hours. It is expected to continue moving in a west-northwest direction.
The system is likely to cross the north Andhra Pradesh-south Odisha coast between Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur during the night of September 23 and the early hours of September 24, the IMD said.
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Heavy rain alert in Odisha
The approaching system has also prompted precautionary measures in several Odisha districts, where authorities have ordered schools and Anganwadi centres to remain closed due to the possibility of heavy rainfall.
The weather system could bring intense rain to parts of Odisha over the next two days. Some areas may receive rainfall of up to 20 cm, while winds of around 55-65 kmph are expected from Tuesday evening.
IMD scientists have also cautioned that heavy rainfall could push up water levels in rivers and trigger flooding in low-lying areas. The risk is considered higher in locations that have already experienced prolonged rainfall.
In Khurda, all schools have been ordered to remain closed from Tuesday to Thursday. Ganjam has also announced the closure of government, government-aided and private schools during the same period.
In Jagatsinghpur, schools and Anganwadi centres have been shut for Tuesday, while authorities in Gajapati have ordered schools and Anganwadi centres to remain closed from Tuesday through Thursday. The closures apply to both government and private institutions where specified by the district administrations.
Could the system become a cyclone?
The next stage of intensification will depend on the system's wind speed and structure. Under the IMD's classification, a low-pressure area has one closed isobar, while a depression has two and a deep depression has three. A system with four or more closed isobars is classified as a cyclonic storm.
Wind speed is another key factor. A depression is associated with maximum sustained three-minute winds of 17-27 knots (31-50 kmph). When winds increase to 28-33 knots (52-61 kmph), it is classified as a deep depression. A system reaches cyclonic storm status once sustained winds reach 34 knots (63 kmph) or more.
Therefore, the presence of a depression or low-pressure area does not by itself mean that a cyclone will form.
What will the next cyclone be called?
If the system intensifies enough to become a cyclonic storm, it would receive the next name on the North Indian Ocean cyclone naming list.
The next name is Arnab, a name contributed by Bangladesh. According to the regional naming list maintained by the World Meteorological Organization and the IMD, Arnab means "ocean" in Bengali.