The depression over Eastcentral Bay of Bengal is “very likely” to intensify into a cyclonic storm over the eastcentral Bay of Bengal by the morning of May 25, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday.

According to an IMD update at 9 pm on Friday, the depression moved north-northeastwards with a speed of eight kilometres per hour during the past six hours and lay centered at 5:30 pm over Eastcentral Bay of Bengal about 650 kilometers south of Khepupara in Bangladesh, about 620 kilometers from south-southeast of Sagar Islands of West Bengal, and approximately 670 kilometers south of West Bengal’s Canning.

“The Depression over Eastcentral Bay of Bengal moved north-northeastwards with a speed of 8 kmph during past 06 hours and lay centered at 1730 hrs IST of today, the 24th May, 2024 over Eastcentral Bay of Bengal near latitude 16.2°N and longitude 89.1°E, about 650 km south of Khepupara (Bangladesh), about 620 km south-southeast of Sagar Islands (West Bengal) and 670 km south of Canning (West Bengal),” the IMD bulletin read.

Meanwhile, the cyclonic storm is expected to move northwards and intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by the night of May 25. By the next day, the severe cyclonic storms is predicted to take up speeds of up 130 kilometers per hour.

“It is very likely to continue to move north-northeastwards and intensify into a Cyclonic Storm over eastcentral Bay of Bengal by 25th May morning. Subsequently, it would move nearly northwards, intensify into a Severe Cyclonic Storm by 25th night. Continuing to move nearly northwards, it is very likely to cross Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal coasts between Sagar Island and Khepupara by 26th May midnight as a Severe Cyclonic Storm with wind speed of 110-120 gusting to 130 kmph,” it added.

As such, the IMD has issued heavy rainfall warning for West Bengal, Odisha, Andaman Islands and northeastern states of Mizoram, Tripura, South Manipur, Assam, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland over the next few days.