A new depression is developing near Myanmar’s coast, prompting a fishing advisory in parts of the Bay of Bengal, although the system is currently unlikely to bring direct storm or heavy-rain impacts to West Bengal, the Alipore weather office has said.
The depression is expected to move northwards over the next few days after strengthening from a low-pressure area near southern coastal Myanmar and adjoining regions. The system reached the Andaman Sea and became a well-marked low-pressure area on Sunday afternoon, according to the weather office.
It is expected to move north-northwestwards by Monday and intensify into a depression. The system may then continue moving northwards towards the sea near the Myanmar-Bangladesh coast within two days. Forecasts for its subsequent movement and impact will depend on how the system develops, the weather office said.
As the system moves across the eastern and northeastern Bay of Bengal, winds over the sea may reach speeds of 45 to 55 kilometres per hour. Gusts could occasionally reach 65 kilometres per hour. A warning has therefore been issued for fishermen in the east-central and northeastern Bay of Bengal from Monday to Wednesday.
No warning is currently in force for the West Bengal coast. The weather office has also said that the developing system is unlikely to have a direct impact on the state. Fresh widespread rain or storms are not expected in West Bengal at present, although officials are monitoring the depression’s movement.
The latest system is developing shortly after a deep depression over the western Bay of Bengal brought widespread rain and thunderstorms to districts in south Bengal last week. Kolkata also experienced continuous rain during that period. The earlier system made landfall along the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, leaving the sea conditions rough before its influence weakened from Saturday.
The change in weather conditions has already been reflected in Kolkata’s temperatures. The city recorded a minimum temperature of 26.5 degrees Celsius on Monday morning, 0.5 degrees above normal. The maximum temperature on Sunday was 32.4 degrees Celsius, 0.1 degrees below normal.
For coastal communities and marine operations, the immediate operational concern is the condition of the sea in the areas covered by the advisory. Fishermen have been asked to remain alert in the specified waters through Wednesday, while the weather office continues to assess the system’s direction, strength and possible effect on the region.
