In the wake of the approaching storm, the IMD has forecast light to moderate intensity (2.4mm to 644mm in 24-hours) over West Bengal, Odisha and coastal Andhra Pradesh on Saturday. On Sunday, the Met Office has warned of very heavy to extremely heavy rain (115.6mm to over 204.4mm in 24-hours) over south Odisha, north coastal Andhra Pradesh.

Heavy rain is likely over Telangana, north interior Odisha, and Chhattisgarh. Due to rough sea conditions and intense winds, fishermen have been advised against venturing into the sea till Monday.

As on Saturday morning 5.30 am, the system — in the form of a deep depression — was located in the east-central Bay of Bengal which was about 510km east-southeast of Gopalpur in Odisha and 590kms east- northeast of Kalingapatanam in Andhra Pradesh.

“The deep depression will intensify into a cyclonic storm during the next 12 hours. It is likely to move westwards and cross north Andhra Pradesh and adjoining south Odisha coast sometime during Sunday evening,” the IMD’s cyclone bulletin issued at 8.30 am this morning stated.

Like most recent storms that have crossed Indian coasts, this system, too, is rapidly intensifying. In less than 48 hours, it intensified from a low pressure (wind speed less than 34kms/hr) to a deep depression (wind speed 51 to 61kms/hr).

Cyclones formed in the Bay of Bengal in September (Source: IMD)

This will be the third cyclone of 2021 after Tauktae and Yaas that had formed in May this year.

Cyclone data between 1990 – 2021 show that only 14 cyclones developed during September with just three storms between 2011 – 2021 (excluding the yet to develop cyclone Gulab).