On the second morning after landfall, erstwhile very severe cyclone ‘Titli’ has wound down in strength three notches to become a deep depression this morning as it braces to enter the plains of Bengal.
The deep depression moved east-northeast from its overnight location over Odisha and is located to 30 km North-East of Phulbani and 70 km South-West of Angul.
It is expected to move northeastwards towards the plains of Bengal and weaken into a depression by this evening, an India Met Department (IMD) update said.
SQUALLY WINDS
The IMD has forecast squally winds with speed reaching up to 55 km/hr and gusting to 65 km/hr along and off the Odisha and Bengal coasts, and up to 45 km/hr gusting to 55 km/hr over the adjoining areas of North interior Odisha during this period.
The sea condition will be ‘rough’ to ‘very rough’ (wave heights of eight ft to 20 ft) along and off the Odisha and Bengal coasts until tomorrow.
Fishermen are advised not to venture into sea along and off Odisha and Bengal coasts as well as the North Bay of Bengal during this period.
Meanwhile, far out into the Arabian Sea, the very severe cyclone ‘Luban’ over its West-Central basin, was located to about 450 km East-South-East of Salalah (Oman); 460 km East-North-East of Socotra Islands (Yemen); and 610 km East-South-East of Al-Ghaydah (Yemen).
ARABIAN SEA STORM
The IMD, which issues forecasts for the entire Arabian Sea basin, expects ‘Luban’ to cross Yemen and adjoining South Oman by Sunday after weakening a round as a severe cyclonic storm.
Meanwhile, the IMD has indicated that rain-friendly south-easterly winds could start fanning into the South Peninsula over the next three to four days, bring some precipitation.
Also, seasonal easterlies to northeasterly winds could resume to blow across the region from around October 20 thanks to strong easterly wave action being initiated from the South-East Bay of Bengal.
The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts had indicated yesterday that this would be an offshoot of a likely low-pressure area developing just across the border to over the South China Sea.
The European Centre has also indicated the likelihood of a circulation forming over the Bay not too far from the Tamil Nadu coast around October 21. This would bear watching.
A Thailand Met Department update said that easterly winds are bringing the humid air into the South of the country while a lower pressure regime covers Malaysia and surrounding South China Sea.