With a maximum wind speed of 80 kmph, the cyclonic storm is expected to pass over the Sunderbans and make landfall on the coast of Bangladesh either on Friday night or early Saturday morning.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that on Friday morning, the deep depression over the Bay of Bengal strengthened into a cyclonic storm named "Midhili."
Interestingly, the Maldives gave the name "Midhili." Names of cyclones in sequence are provided by countries that are periodically affected by cyclones in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The United Nations Economic and Social Commission (ESCAP) member nations as well as the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) adopted this approach.
With a maximum wind speed of 80 kmph, the cyclonic storm is expected to pass over the Sunderbans and make landfall on the coast of Bangladesh either on Friday night or early Saturday morning.
But, there will be no direct impact on Odisha though fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea till November 18," says MET Scientist Uma Shankar Das.
“Deep Depression over NW Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm ‘Midhili’ (pronounced as ‘Midhili’). It lay centred at 0530 hrs IST of 17th Nov over Northwest BoB about 190 km east of Paradip (Odisha), 200 km south-southeast of Digha (West Bengal), and 220 km southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh),” the IMD wrote in its bulletin.
“The cyclonic storm is likely to continue to move north-northeastwards and cross Bangladesh coast close to Khepupara with wind speed of 60-70 kmph gusting to 80 kmph during November 17 night or early hours of November 18," further added.
The weather service predicts that the cyclonic storm will cause severe rains over the next 24 hours in West Bengal's coastal districts, including North and South 24 Parganas, Howrah, East Medinpur, and Kolkata.
Although the cyclone won't have a significant effect on Odisha, it is expected to cause significant rainfall in certain areas of the state, including Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur.
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 "IMD update: Cyclone 'Midhili' intensifies, heavy rainfall to occur in these states for 2 days Kolkata, Bay of Bengal, Odisha")
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