This year’s first cyclone ‘Asani’ is likely to form over the central Bay of Bengal on March 21, says the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). The cyclone is unlikely to cross the Indian coast but heavy rain and strong winds are expected over Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Hindustan Times reported on Thursday.
On Tuesday evening, a low-pressure area formed over the equatorial Indian Ocean and the southwest Bay of Bengal. It went over to the central south Bay of Bengal the next day.
According to the Indian met office, the 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.
It is then expected to move north-north-westwards along and off Andaman and Nicobar Islands and intensify into a depression by the morning of March 20 and cyclonic storm Asani on March 21, IMD said.
The cyclone does not seem like it will affect the Indian coast, an IMD official told the Hindustan times.
They added that their models indicate the storm may cross Bangladesh or north Myanmar coasts but it is too early to determine the trajectory.
“All conditions are favourable for formation and intensification of the cyclone,” the official said.
The Indian met office predicted light to moderate rainfall/thundershowers in the south Andaman Sea on March 19.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected at a few places and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Hindustan Times reports.
Strong winds reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph are very likely over the Bay of Bengal and the equatorial Indian Ocean till March 18 while the wind speed is gradually expected to increase by March 21.
Gale winds speed reaching 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph are very likely over Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Bay of Bengal.
On March 23, gale winds speed reaching 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph are very likely over the Bay of Bengal and Bangladesh and Myanmar coasts, the met office predicts.
The tropical cyclone will be the first to hit the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in March in at least 132 years if the forecast materializes, University of Reading, UK Meteorologist Akshay Deoras said in a tweet.
– Input from Hindustan Times was used in this report
