Ships and aircraft on high alert as deep depression forms in Bay of Bengal, fishermen cautioned

The Coast Guard Headquarters in Kolkata, West Bengal, on Wednesday issued an advisory to the fishermen for not venturing into the sea, after the depression in the Bay of Bengal intensified into a deep depression. The Ministry of Earth Science had on Tuesday said that depression has formed over northwest Bay of Bengal off north Odisha and West Bengal coasts and is likely to intensify into a deep depression.

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The deep depression is very likely to move initially northwestwards and cross north Odisha - West Bengal coasts close to the north of Balasore on Wednesday afternoon and move west northwestwards thereafter, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). At 8.30 am on Wednesday morning it lay centered at about 65 km southeast of Balasore (Odisha) and about 60 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal).

The ships and aircraft are on high alert and round the clock surveillance of the coasts of Odisha and West Bengal and in deeper waters is going on for cautioning boats at sea to return to the harbour.

In addition to issuing warnings through official channels, the Indian Coast Guard has also been advising fishing community through personal visits to their hamlets, issuing bulk SMS to the fishermen and boat owners, and taking assistance of media like local radio channels to spread the weather advisory.

Light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and isolated extremely heavy falls very likely over Odisha and Chhattisgarh during the next 24 hours. Light to moderate rainfall at most places with isolated heavy to very heavy & extremely
heavy falls very likely over east Madhya Pradesh during the same period. Light to moderate rainfall at most places with isolated heavy falls are also very likely over Gangetic West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand during same period.

Light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at a few places very likely over north Andhra Pradesh and Telangana during next 24 hours, over Chhattisgarh during the subsequent 24 hours and over Vidarbha during next 48 hours. Subsequent west-northwestward movement of the system is very likely to cause Light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy falls and isolated extremely heavy falls over west Madhya Pradesh and east Rajasthan on August 8.

Squally wind speed reaching 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph very likely along and off West Bengal and Odisha Coasts during next 12 hours and 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph thereafter for subsequent 12 hours. Strong winds speed reaching 30-40 kmph gusting to 50 kmph are also very likely over interior areas of Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal and Jharkhand on Wednesday.