• Cyclone Mocha likely to make landfall on India's East Coast next week; IMD tracks closely

    Environment
    Cyclone Mocha likely to make landfall on India's East Coast next week; IMD tracks closely
    Cyclone Mocha is expected to form over the southeast Bay of Bengal this week. IMD monitors closely...

    Digital Desk: Cyclone Mocha is anticipated to form over the southeast Bay of Bengal this week. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has been closely monitoring a cyclonic storm that is building over the Bay of Bengal. Cyclone Mocha is expected to make landfall between May 8 and May 11.

    The weather service has not yet released a forecast. However, in the aftermath of the cyclone, the West Bengal government has begun making preparations. Yemen has been named the year's first cyclone.

    "We are expecting a low-pressure area over the southern part of the Bay of Bengal by May 8 with the possibility of this system intensifying further. As of now, there is much divergence on whether it will be a cyclonic storm or not and also in which direction it will proceed if it is a cyclone. We should be more definite about it by Thursday," GK Das, director (weather) at the Regional Meteorological Centre, Kolkata, reported to The Times of India.

    According to the IMD, a cyclonic circulation is expected to form over the Southeast Bay of Bengal around Saturday. "A storm circulation is expected to form over the Southeast Bay of Bengal around May 6, 2023." A low-pressure area is expected to form over the same region under its influence around May 7th. "It is expected to consolidate into a depression over the Southeast Bay of Bengal on May 8th," the meteorological service said.


    "Thereafter, it is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm while moving nearly northwards towards the central Bay of Bengal," the Met Department added. After the formation of a low-pressure area, the details of its path and intensification will be provided. The system is constantly monitored and under constant surveillance."

    Odisha is also bracing for the Cyclone. On Tuesday, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik presided over a high-level meeting to review preparations for the cyclone.