india

Updated: Apr 30, 2020 18:37 IST

This season’s first cyclonic storm—Amphan — is likely to form over south Andaman Sea in the next couple of days, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

A low pressure area will likely form over south Andaman Sea and neighbourhood during the next 24 hours. Under its influence, there will be squally winds and heavy rainfall over south Andaman Sea, southeast Bay of Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar Islands over the next five days.

“The low pressure area is likely to develop in the next 24 hours and a depression is likely to form in the subsequent 24 hours. We have forecast that the depression is likely to intensify further. If it develops in to a cyclonic storm, it will be called Amphan,” said M Mohapatra, director general of IMD.

Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea along and off north Sumatra coast, south Andaman Sea and adjoining areas of southeast Bay of Bengal from May 1 to May 3. The depression or cyclone is likely to move north-northwestwards during the first three days and north-northeastwards towards Myanmar coast thereafter.

“The ocean parameters continue to be favourable for its strengthening while over the east-central Bay and neighbourhood. However, there is no consensus amongst the weather model over the timelines, area, and level of intensification,” Skymet Weather, a private weather forecasting agency, said on its website on Thursday.

A fresh and intense western disturbance is likely to cause widespread rain and thundershowers over the western Himalayan region, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan during May 3-6. There will be thunderstorms, hailstorms, lightning, gusty winds (30-40 kmph) over north western India during the period, according to IMD.

A western disturbance, the seventh in April, was affecting the north-western region on Thursday. “We have already started recording rain in many parts around Ghaziabad. There can be some thunderstorms and hailstorms too on Thursday and Friday. But the next WD will be intense because an area of low pressure will form, and on the night of May 3, a cyclonic circulation is likely to develop over west Rajasthan; there will be moisture incursion from Arabian Sea. The WD will bring rains, thunderstorms, squally winds of 40 to 50 kmph speed over the entire northwestern region 3 to 4 days. There may be snowfall in the upper reaches of Western Himalayas also,” said Kuldeep Shrivastava, head, regional weather forecasting centre, Delhi.