Depression over Bay of Bengal could intensify into cyclone: Met Office

Bangladesh Meteorological Department has advised maritime ports to hoist distant cautionary signal No. 1 as a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal threatens to intensify into a cyclone.

The depression over east-central Bay is moving north-westwards and was centred about 1,005 km southwest of Chattogram port at 9 am on Wednesday, according to the Met Office.

“The deep depression may turn into a cyclone by Wednesday evening. It will be called Bulbul. The level of cautionary signals will be increased when the depression turns into a cyclone,” Abdul Mannan, a senior meteorologist, told bdnews24.com.

The cyclones in the Asia-Pacific region are named from a list prepared by the meteorological offices in eight countries of the region. The name 'Bulbul' has been proposed by Pakistan.

Maximum sustained wind speed within 48 km of the depression centre was about 50 km per hour, rising to 60 km per hour in gusts and squalls.

The deep depression may turn into a cyclone by 8pm on Wednesday, according to the forecast by the Indian met office. The maximum sustained wind speed may rise to 80 km per hour by that time.

It may turn into a severe cyclonic storm by Thursday evening, packing maximum winds of 90-110 km per hour.

The cyclone is likely to move across the Bay into Odissa, West Bengal and sourth-west Bangladesh on Nov 11, according to Indian meteorologists.