Bhubaneswar: Officials predict that a low-pressure region developing over the South Andaman Sea would build into a cyclonic cyclone and make its way to the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast early next week.

According to the mettroloicial  Department, the weather system over the South Andaman Sea and the adjacent southeast Bay of Bengal is quite likely to move north-westwards and intensify into a depression by Saturday.  By Sunday evening, it is expected to have intensified into a cyclonic storm. In light of the cyclonic storm's expected formation, the weather office also warned of thunderstorms and heavy rainfall over the regions of Gangetic West Bengal between Tuesday and Friday next week.

Following the forecast, the Odisha government said disaster response and fire services teams were set on readiness. In the recent three summers, the region has been hit by three cyclones: 'Yaas' in 2021, 'Amphan' in 2020, and 'Fani' in 2019.

According to India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director-General Mrutunjay Mohapatra, the low-pressure region is highly likely to proceed north-westwards and deepen into a depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal and a cyclonic storm over the east-central Bay of Bengal.

"We have requisitioned 17 teams of NDRF (National Disaster Response Force), 20 teams of ODRAF (Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force), and 175 teams of fire department personnel," Odisha Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P K Jena said. Apart from that, the NDRF has been asked to reserve 10 additional teams in case of an emergency.

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