Bay depression to grow into severe cyclone heading for Andhra coast

UPDATE - follow-up to Andhra braces for very severe cyclonic storm; Odisha activates disaster mitigation machinery | LIVE: The depression over the east-central and southeast Bay of Bengal is set to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm, bringing heavy rain and high winds to coastal regions. The India Meteorological Department states the system lay centered at 5:30 a.m. on October 25 near latitude 15.3°N and longitude 91.2°E, about 880 kilometres east-southeast of Visakhapatnam, moving southeastward at 5 kilometres per hour.

Impact And Warnings

The storm is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam by the forenoon of October 28. Maximum wind speeds during landfall are forecast between 115 and 125 kilometres per hour, gusting up to 140 kilometres per hour. According to the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, Managing Director Prakhar Jain urged residents to stay on high alert as the system develops. Meanwhile, the Odisha government activated its disaster response machinery on Saturday, with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi directing officials to aim for zero casualties. President Droupadi Murmu's scheduled two-day visit to Odisha starting October 28 was postponed due to the safety risks.

Context

Severe cyclonic storms form when warm ocean waters fuel low-pressure systems in the Bay of Bengal during the post-monsoon season. Coastal states in eastern India routinely enforce mass evacuations and mobilize disaster relief forces ahead of such landfalls to minimize loss of life and property damage.