Cyclone Asani to form over Bay of Bengal; IMD issues warning to fishermen

This year’s first cyclone, Cyclone Asani is likely to form over the central Bay of Bengal on March 19 and hit Andaman and Nicobar, further moving towards Bangladesh and Myanmar, India Meteorological Department (IMD) informed on Thursday.

IMD also issued warning and stated that fishermen are advised not to venture into east central Bay of Bengal during 21st to 23rd March and into northeast Bay of Bengal during 22nd to 23rd March.

The weather department said that a low-pressure area was formed over the equatorial Indian Ocean and the southwest Bay of Bengal on Tuesday evening. It was over central south Bay of Bengal on Wednesday. This low-pressure area is likely to move and become a well-marked low-pressure area over the southeast Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea around March 19.

 

“Long period average (LPA) over central parts of south Bay of Bengal become well marked low (WML)  pressure on 19th along Andaman and Nicobar Islands, intensify into a depression by morning of 20th March and into a cyclonic storm on 21st March. To move nearly north-northeastwards and reach near Bangladesh-north Myanmar coasts on 22nd March,” IMD said in a tweet.

As the storm intensifies into a cyclone, it will be named Asani, as per the suggestion from Sri Lanka which roughly translates to wrath in Sinhala.

It is likely to bring isolated extremely heavy rainfall of over 200 mm over Andaman and Nicobar Islands from Sunday (March 20) to Tuesday (March 22), IMD further stated.

“If the forecast materialises, Tropical #CycloneAsani will become the first ever tropical cyclone to hit Andaman and Nicobar Islands in March. Not a single tropical cyclone has hit the region in March in at least 132 years,” tweeted Akshay Deoras, a meteorologist at the University of Reading, UK.

Heavy to very heavy rainfall and strong winds are expected over Odisha, West Bengal, and northeastern states on Wednesday and Thursday.