Cyclone Midhili intensifies; heavy rain likely in Bengal, Odisha

The deep depression over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm ‘Midhili’ on Friday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The cyclonic storm will be moving past the Sunderbans before making landfall on the Bangladesh coast with a maximum wind speed of 80 kmph during Friday night or early hours of Saturday, it said.

“Deep Depression over NW Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm ‘Midhili’ (pronounced as ‘Midhili’). It lay centered at 0530 hrs IST of 17th Nov over Northwest BoB about 190 km east of Paradip (Odisha), 200 km south-southeast of Digha (West Bengal), and 220 km southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh),” the IMD wrote in its bulletin.

It added, “The cyclonic storm is likely to continue to move north-northeastwards and cross Bangladesh coast close to Khepupara with wind speed of 60-70 kmph gusting to 80 kmph during November 17 night or early hours of November 18.”

According to the weather department, West Bengal's coastal districts including North and South 24 Parganas, Howrah, East Medinpur, and Kolkata are likely to receive heavy rainfall for the next 24 hours due to the cyclonic storm.

It added that while the cyclone will not have a major impact on Odisha, some districts of the states such as Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur are likely to receive heavy rainfall. In view of this, Odisha's special relief commissioner has put all district collectors on alert, reported news agency PTI.

Notably, the name ‘Midhili’ was given by the Maldives. Countries affected by the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal cyclones rotationally give names of cyclones in a sequence. this system was adopted by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and member countries of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission (ESCAP).