Last night’s monsoon depression over North–West Bay of Bengal crossed the Odisha coast close to Paradip between 7:30 PM and 8:30 PM last night, an India Met Department (IMD) update said.
The IMD had correctly assessed the landfall would happen between Puri and Chandbali yesterday night or early tomorrow morning. Thus, it got the timing of the event also right.
The depression, however, did not rachet up to the strength of a deep depression as forecast. Proximity to the coast, which limits moisture feed available, could have possibly come in the way.
The system was located to the west of Paradip at 8:30 PM last night when tracked last. It was expected to travel north–northeastward into Bengal and the North–Eastern States.
The westerly and north-westerly winds over the mainland after the South–West monsoon withdrew from there proved too strong for it to venture further inland into East and Central India.
The depression would gradually weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area during the course of today. This morning’s satellite pictures showed intense clouding over East and North-East India.
Clouds cover the coast stretching from Brahmapur to Puri in Odisha as also adjoining interior. Further, they hang heavy over adjoining Bengal, the North–Eastern States and into Bangladesh.
The areas covered includes Bhadrak, Kharagpur, Contai, Haldia, Kolkata, southern Bangladesh, and adjoining southern Tripura in India’s North-East.
Heavy rains, high winds
The IMD has forecast rainfall at most places Coastal Odisha today with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places and isolated heavy rainfall over interior Odisha.
Rainfall has been forecast also at most places in Bengal with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places today and tomorrow.
Rainfall is likely at many places over Mizoram and Tripura with isolated heavy rainfall as well as over East Jharkhand and East Bihar today. A similar forecast is valid for Assam and Meghalaya.
Squally winds with speed reaching 45–55 km/hr gusting to 65 km/hr would prevail along and off Odisha and West Bengal coasts.
The wind speed will range from 30–40 km/hr gusting to 50 km/hr along and off North Odisha and West Bengal coasts into tonight and early tomorrowmorning.
The sea condition would be ‘rough’ to ‘very rough’ along and off Odisha and West Bengal coasts today and along and off north Odisha and West Bengal coasts into the night.
Fishermen along and off South Odisha coast are not advised to venture out into the seas today while those along North Odisha and West Bengal coasts would stay put until tomorrow.