Cyclone siphoning away moisture, causing dry spell

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) disclosed that the cyclone over the Bay of Bengal was drawing moisture away and causing rain to taper off in parts of Karnataka.

The deep depression intensified into a cyclonic storm at 5:30 pm on Sunday and is likely to make landfall near Bangladesh on Tuesday, as per the weather department’s calculations. An IMD scientist said that post-landfall, the rain was likely to pick up again in the state.

“Initially, it took the direction of north-westerlies. Now it is re-curving. That is why it is dragging all the moisture. Not only is it not making landfall near Andhra Pradesh coast (like last time). That is why Karnataka is not receiving rainfall. It is going to leave the state high and dry for the next three or four days,” the scientist said.

“Once the cyclone dissipates or makes a landfall, there’ll be a revival of rainfall for south interior Karnataka,” he added. He said that IMD estimated that it would make landfall on Tuesday. He said that the formation of weather systems in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea at this time of the year was quite normal.

“It is not abnormal. During South West Monsoon, trough, atmospheric cyclonic circulations, and the like are very common. In fact, this time around, we have a lower number of depressions,” he added.

Moreover, the weather system is likely to cause heavy rainfall in coastal states like West Bengal and Odisha in the coming days. In keeping with the earlier observations, IMD reported that the “southwest monsoon was weak over the state” on Sunday, adding that rainfall occurred at a few places over coastal Karnataka and at isolated places over inland Karnataka.

Udupi city received 2 cm of rainfall on Sunday. Ankola town in Uttara Kannada district, Gunji in Belagavi district and Bhagamandala in Kodagu district received 1 cm of rainfall on the same day.

Storm named Sitrang, may intensify

The cyclone is called “Sitrang,” which is a Thai name. This is the first cyclone to form over the Bay of Bengal since Asani in early May.  “Cyclonic Storm “SITRANG” (pronounced as “Si-Trang”) over Northwest and adjoining central and Bay of Bengal (Cyclone Warning for West Bengal coast: Orange Message).

 “It is very likely to continue to move north-northeastwards and intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during the next 12 hours. Continuing to move northnortheastwards thereafter, it is very likely to cross Bangladesh coast between Tinkona Island and Sandwip close to Barisal around 25th October early morning,” an official IMD statement said.