A cyclone is likely to form in the Bay of Bengal within the next 24 hours, which will be known as ‘Mantha’, the India Meteorological Department said in its latest update on Sunday (October 26).

It is currently located in the Bay of Bengal as a deep depression. It is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm within 24 hours and intensify into a cyclonic storm on October 28, the India Meteorological Department said.

According to the latest information, the deep depression that is likely to develop into a cyclone was located 610 km west of Port Blair in the Bay of Bengal, 790 km southeast of Chennai, 850 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam and 950 km south-southeast of Gopalpur in Odisha.

Given the current trajectory of the deep depression, it is expected to hit the coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh, India, with the impact being greatest in Makhilipatnam-Kakinada.

Impact in Bangladesh

The low pressure area over the southeastern Bay of Bengal and adjacent areas has further intensified into a deep depression. It is expected to move further west-northwestwards and intensify into a cyclone, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department has predicted.

This information was given in a special bulletin issued by Assistant Meteorologist Kazi Jebunnesa of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department on Sunday.

It was informed that due to the impact of the deep depression, distant warning signal number one has been raised at 4 seaports of the country. At the same time, all fishing boats and trawlers in the North Bay of Bengal and deep sea have been asked to approach the coast with caution until further notice.

The agency said that the deep depression was located 1,340 kilometers south of Chittagong Seaport, 1,270 kilometers south of Cox’s Bazar Seaport, 1,300 kilometers south of Mongla Seaport, and 1,265 kilometers south of Payra Seaport at 6 am today.

The bulletin further said that the maximum sustained wind speed within 48 km of the deep depression is 50 kmph, increasing to 60 kmph in gusts or squally winds. The sea is rough in the area near the deep depression. In this situation, the sea ports of Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been asked to display distant warning signal number 1.

A low pressure area has formed in the Arabian Sea as well as the Bay of Bengal. It is feared that it may also gain strength in the next few days.

In such a situation, the Indian Army has been put on alert.

Meanwhile, Thailand has named the cyclone forming in the Bay of Bengal ‘Mantha’. This is a Thai word which means beautiful flower.

A panel of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has already decided on the names of cyclones that form in the Indian Ocean. This time, new cyclones will be named according to the names given by Thailand.

There are 13 countries on the World Meteorological Organization panel in the North Indian Ocean region. They are the ones who make these designations. The countries are: Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.