The Hindu Business Line : Cyclone Akash tipped to turn into a storm

Thiruvananthapuram May 14 The depression over east central Bay of Bengal moved slowly in a northerly direction and intensified into a deep depression at 2.30 a.m. on Monday morning, churning faster still to become a cyclonic storm five hours later.

An Ohio State University update said the cyclone, named Akash locally, lay centred 750 km southeast of Kolkata in the morning and was moving north-northeast. The storm would intensify further and cross the south Bangladesh coast and the adjoining north Arakan (Myanmar) by Tuesday afternoon.

According to projections of the London-based Tropical Storm Risk Group, Tropical Storm 01B (as Tropical Cyclone Akash will be called internationally) will spin about its axis viciously over the next 36 hours to Category-1 hurricane status (a very severe cyclone storm with wind speeds of 65 knots or 120 km/hr).

Akash is depicted as retaining much of the strength till sometime after landfall over south Bangladesh but will weaken to tropical storm status as it enters India territory (over Tripura and Manipur) by noon on Tuesday. It will weaken further to tropical depression status by midnight.

In the meanwhile, existing cyclonic circulation over North Bay and adjoining Greater West Bengal, and another one over coastal Orissa merged with the cyclonic storm.

Rain and thundershowers are likely to occur at most places in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Greater West Bengal; at many places in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland-Manipur-Mizoram-Tripura; and at a few places in Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and coastal Andhra Pradesh, and isolated places in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

An India Meteorological Department (IMD) warning said that heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at a few places over the North-Eastern States. Strong surface winds speed reaching 65-75 km/hr is likely over Nagaland-Manipur-Mizoram-Tripura and Assam-Meghalaya; and 55-65 km/hr over coastal West Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Fishermen of Andaman and Nicobar Islands are advised not to venture into sea during the next 24 hours.

Fairly widespread rainfall with isolated heavy falls are likely to commence over coastal areas of West Bengal from Monday night onwards and continue for the subsequent 48 hours.

Squally winds with speed reaching 55-65 km/hr are likely along and off the West Bengal coast during the same period. The sea condition will be very rough to high along and off West Bengal coast. Fishermen are advised not to venture into sea.

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