In an inexorable anticlimax, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has ruled out the formation of a cyclone (which would have been named Fengal) over the south-west Bay of Bengal after a parent deep depression struggled for an entire day yesterday to gain traction off the Sri Lankan coast.
The IMD had given up on the projected cyclone last night bar the shouting, as the deep depression tried to fend off a harsh environment of increasing vertical wind shear, cooler sea-surface temperatures (of its own making from sustained rain over the waters for many days), and interaction with the Sri Lankan landmass.
These had slowed down its onward movement along the projected path towards the Tamil Nadu coast, likely ruling out even the small window of opportunity for intensification that IMD had indicated available. The deep depression picked up some speed while moving past the Sri Lanka coast as it lay anchored by midnight last night 240 km north-east off Trincomalee, 330 km east-southeast of Nagapattinam, 390 km east-southeast of Puducherry and 430 km southeast of Chennai on Tamil Nadu coast.
It will manage to maintain its intensity as a deep depression until today (Friday) but weaken as a depression while drifting towards the north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast for an entire day today (Friday). It may cross the coast between Karaikal and Mahabalipuram close to Puducherry tomorrow (Saturday) morning as a depression with wind speeds of 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 mph.