Weather office picks up early signs of cyclone in Bay of Bengal

The weather office on Wednesday said it has picked up early signs of a cyclone developing in southeast Bay of Bengal and warned fishermen and the shipping community against venturing into the region.

Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of the India Meteorological Department, said a cyclone is likely to develop in southeast Bay of Bengal on May 9 and a prediction of its path would be made in the next few days.

Addressing a press conference here, Mohapatra said a cyclonic circulation is likely to develop on May 6 with the possibility of formation of a low-pressure area over the same region the next day.

The cyclone will be named Mocha, a name suggested by Yemen after the Red Sea port city.

The weather system is expected to concentrate into a depression on May 8 and intensify into a cyclone on May 9, Mohapatra said, adding that the cyclone was likely to move northwards towards central Bay of Bengal.

"We are issuing a forecast even before formation of a cyclonic circulation so that the marine community planning to venture into the sea could make their plans accordingly," he said.

He urged fishermen not to venture into southeast Bay of Bengal as the region is expected to experience squally weather with wind speed of 40-50 kmph.

"We will issue details about the cyclone track after the formation of a low pressure area," Mohapatra said.

The pre-monsoon period of April-May-June is also the cyclone season for the Indian Ocean region and May witnesses the maximum frequency of cyclones. The other cyclone season is October-November-December.